Report: 88% of Athletic Directors Support Expanded Playoff

72% of surveyed athletic directors support an eight-team College Football Playoff, according to Stadium's Brett McMurphy.

88% of FBS athletic directors support an expanded College Football Playoff, according to a survey taken by Stadium's Brett McMurphy. 

The current playoff contract runs through 2025. The nation's ADs can then revise the playoff format, expanding to eight, or potentially 16, teams.

An eight-team playoff is supported by 72% of athletic directors, per McMurphy. 66% of the ADs surveyed wish to include the highest-ranked non-Power Five team in a new playoff format. 

“More and more fans are only concerned with the playoffs,” an anonymous AD told McMurphy. “That’s sad, but true, so we should expand the playoffs when possible. Even if that impacts the bowl system. We have to figure out a way.”

Athletic directors were also surveyed on the potential location of expanded bowl games. 53% of athletic directors would like to see quarterfinal games played on the campus of the higher seed. That number jumps slightly to 55% for Power Five athletic directors.

2014 marked the first season of the College Football Playoff. There have been 11 participants and four different champions, with Alabama and Clemson standing as the lone schools with multiple titles in the CFP era. LSU won its first College Football Playoff in January 2020.