The future of football

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Maya Shindel

AHS seniors celebrate senior night following a win against Coalridge HS.

The biggest issue in College Football, but the least talked about, is the future plan of the College football playoffs. Right now, college football’s playoff (a group of games played to see who is the best team) is a two-round playoff where the best four teams are chosen to play for a championship. The new idea for a different playoff is a 12 team, 4 round game-style playoff where the best four teams get the first week off. The rest of the teams play to make it to the final 8. Then the rest play for a chance to make it to the final round.

This idea for expansion could be a good opportunity for teams. It allows smaller teams with less chance of getting into the modern-day playoffs more opportunity to win a national championship. Before the next football season, a group of experts in football will decide whether to use the new playoff idea or to keep the modern one. Changing the style of the College football playoffs to a more organized format could help high school football.

More of the experienced coaches have voiced their concerns about this plan. Clemson’s head coach Dabo Swinney mentioned to CBS sports that Clemson does not support the idea because there are not twelve teams good enough to compete for a national championship SB Nation sports talks about how there are too many games for kids to play. Too many injuries would occur if they had to play 17 games in a season.

Lots of college coaches don’t support it but the majority of coaches have said that it will be better in the long run. Coaches mentioned in a poll on Sports News how it will add more excitement to the game and create a louder and more exciting atmosphere like March Madness. The fans will be able to put more passion into their teams and even do a bracket similar to March madness. Since the first round of the playoffs would be a home game for the top-ranked teams, the fans could make the environment electric and cause problems for the opposing team.

Not only is it beneficial for the atmosphere but it is also easier for the committee that picks the teams every year, as in previous years they had to choose just four teams to play. We should make it a 12 team playoff and make it easier for them to pick and for more teams to have the opportunity. It allows the selection committee to see the teams that have done well throughout the year and give teams chances. Smaller programs will be given a chance because normally they are not included because they do not have as big of wins. Not only are the smaller teams benefiting but bigger teams can afford to lose at least once and have a chance to make it to the playoffs as well.

The biggest reason for this expansion and why it needs to happen is because of the stress of sports. Every team feels like they cannot lose a game to get into the playoff which should not be the case. The team’s stress and well-being could be managed way better by allowing teams to make a mistake. It can help the stress of programs and allow them to just play and have fun.
The expansion of college football will give smaller teams chances to get in whilst also bringing the crowd more into the games. It will allow the committee less stress from trying to pick out four teams and going to 12.

With the new playoff style, high school players will benefit from this because of more equal chances if we use the same playoff style. It will help change high school sports and the way we see football at the college level.