Talks of expanding the College Football Playoff seem to never go away. The playoff has already expanded from four to 12 teams, and talks continue to swirl surrounding another possible expansion. But will it become a reality?
James Franklin officially isn't coming to LSU and that's a good thing
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported that commissioners from each Power Four conference discussed the possibility of expanding the CFP field to 24 teams. This isn't the first time that talks of a 24-team playoff have occurred, and it may not be the last. For a program like LSU, a 24-team playoff could mean the Tigers are annual participants in the hunt for a National Championship.
Is a 24-team playoff on the horizon?
The idea of a 24-team playoff originally came from the Big Ten. According to Dinich, one CFP source said that 24-team playoff "has some merit," but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done for it to become a reality. As it stands, no changes to the current 12-team format are expected in 2026.
Playoff expansion is a polarizing subject that college football fans across the country seem to be split on. Those in favor support more opportunities, more games, and more action, while those opposed argue that an expanded playoff creates a watered down regular season with little to no consequences for underperforming. But expanding the playoff could do wonders for the LSU Football program. If a 24-team playoff does eventually happen, there's no reason for LSU to be on the outside looking in at any point.
Whoever LSU's next head coach ends up being, they need to understand the fan base's hunger to compete for another national title. LSU has not made the CFP since its historic 2019 National Championship season, having seen disappointing season after disappointing season since then. Even under the current 12-team format, Tiger fans are frustrated that LSU hasn't been close to the playoff over the last few seasons. Expanding to 24 would give LSU no excuses to miss out on the action.