The College Football Playoff's board of managers voted Friday to expand the CFP to 12 teams in 2026, but is encouraging the sport's commissioners to try to implement it as soon as 2024, multiple sources told ESPN.

The 11 presidents and chancellors comprising the board approved the original 12-team model, which includes the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large teams. The 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick will meet next week in Dallas to figure out the details.

Get our free mobile app
2022 CFP National Championship - Georgia v Alabama
Getty Images
loading...

The CFP board held a 2 p.m. ET conference call and the vote was unanimous, a source told ESPN. The major holdup to the 12-team model had been specific objections from the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12. After the thunderbolt of realignment this summer with USC and UCLA committing to the Big Ten and that conference signing a historic television deal, the issues from those leagues began to fade into the background.

The 12-team model is expected to hold the same basic architecture of the playoff model put together by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, Swarbrick, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson and former Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby.

That plan had been floated publicly in June 2021 and then eventually got bogged down by conference politics. In February, the CFP announced it would not be expanding in the current contract, which expires after the 2025 season.

The shifting landscape of college sports appeared to change some opinions. And two weeks ago, the CFP Board of Managers held an unannounced call where they discussed expansion and the possibility of a 12-team playoff starting amid the structure of the current contract.

That manifested itself Friday afternoon, a landmark day in the sport, on the cusp of the formal start of the college football season Saturday.

It may take weeks or months to work out the possibility of playing a 12-team playoff in 2024 or 2025. While CFP officials have laid out the obstacles to such a sudden move -- venues, hotels and television contracts -- money can loom as a powerful motivator for change.

Ten Most Disappointing Minnesota Sports Seasons

The 2021 Minnesota Twins entered the season with high expectations, but unfortunately, they've made the list of most disappointing Minnesota teams of all time.

Disappointment is a common feeling for Minnesota sports fans as the years continue. Following the NBA Championship win for Milwaukee, SportsCenter was quick to point out that Minnesota has the current longest streak of seasons without a championship appearance in the four major sports (MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL). The Minnesota Lynx also chimed in on the stat after claiming four championships since 2011.

The ten teams that are on this list all follow a similar pattern. The year prior was either a great season with a playoff run or one that featured a strong core of players that appeared to have taken the next step. Offseason/preseason expectations were high with even Las Vegas oddsmakers believing in a deep run. Unfortunately, those preseason expectations fell short for the following teams. None of the teams listed below made the playoffs.


More From KSOO-AM / ESPN Sioux Falls