Expanding to the 12-team playoff has revealed some flaws:
*2024: Some of the Conf champs were seeded too high.
...They removed that Top 4 stipulation.
*2025: I think the playoff games showed that two mid-Majors are too many.
...This ties back to how dumb the ACC Tie-breaker rules were.
...Two mid-Majors made it. And NotDame was wrongfully excluded.
My suggestion would be to keep it at 12 teams. But do it on this basis:
*4 Major champs - from Reg Season. They bypass Conf Champ games.
*Conf Champ games = (Mid-Major) played as usual. (Major) Those become a play-in game: 2nd vs 3rd in each Conf, winner earns a bid.
...(Mid-Major play-in game) This year it would have likely been Tulane vs JamesMad. Winner earns a bid. There's room for one of those teams, not 2.
*3 At Large bids: If you don't win either the Reg Season or the play-in, it's pretty hard to complain.
...NotDame got a raw deal this year. They were one of the three strongest teams in the nation. They are an Independent, so it becomes tough to fit them in.
*2024: Some of the Conf champs were seeded too high.
...They removed that Top 4 stipulation.
*2025: I think the playoff games showed that two mid-Majors are too many.
...This ties back to how dumb the ACC Tie-breaker rules were.
...Two mid-Majors made it. And NotDame was wrongfully excluded.
My suggestion would be to keep it at 12 teams. But do it on this basis:
*4 Major champs - from Reg Season. They bypass Conf Champ games.
*Conf Champ games = (Mid-Major) played as usual. (Major) Those become a play-in game: 2nd vs 3rd in each Conf, winner earns a bid.
...(Mid-Major play-in game) This year it would have likely been Tulane vs JamesMad. Winner earns a bid. There's room for one of those teams, not 2.
*3 At Large bids: If you don't win either the Reg Season or the play-in, it's pretty hard to complain.
...NotDame got a raw deal this year. They were one of the three strongest teams in the nation. They are an Independent, so it becomes tough to fit them in.