Well, now it's officially official: College football will have a playoff by 2014.
University presidents on Tuesday approved a plan that will see college football determine its national champion via a four-team tournament. Under the terms of the plan, those four teams will be chosen by a selection committee, similar to the system used in college basketball (in other words, you can expect plenty of complaining, pretty much every single year).
The new national semifinals will be rotated around six bowl sites--the Rose Bowl and the new Champions Bowl are the only bowls that have already cemented their status in this rotation--and the national title game will be placed out for bid.
The semifinals will be played on New Year's Even or New Year's Day and the title game will take place on the newly named "Championship Monday."
Though the bare bones of the plan are solidified, there are still many unanswered questions, including what happens to the Fiesta and Sugar bowls, neither of which has been assured a spot in the national semifinal rotation. It is widely assumed that the Orange Bowl will eventually be added to the mix.
In a statement following the announcement, Wright Waters, executive director of the Football Bowl Association, issues a statement congratulating the presidents "on their careful deliberations concerning the future of the college football postseason."
Said Waters: "The bowls provide a unique postseason experience for student-athletes, fans, coaches and the American public. Today is the beginning of an exciting time in the future of college football and we are committed to continuing the rich tradition of the bowls."
Photo: Getty Images
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