College Football Playoff Scheduling Issues Highlighted by Recent Results

The College Football Playoff (CFP) system was supposed to make the postseason more competitive and fun. But it’s run into some real headaches with scheduling.

The current format gives the top four teams a first-round bye. Ironically, that break seems to hurt the very teams it’s meant to reward.

This piece looks at the mess behind CFP scheduling, how the NFL plays a role, and what some folks think could fix it.

The College Football Playoff Scheduling Dilemma

People have really started questioning the CFP’s scheduling, especially after Oregon head coach Dan Lanning spoke up. Lanning, whose team actually benefited from the current setup, argued that every playoff game should be played every single weekend until the season concludes.

His point? The long layoff for top-seeded teams might be more of a curse than a blessing.

First-Round Byes: A Double-Edged Sword

Since the 12-team format showed up, all six teams with first-round byes lost their first playoff game. That’s not exactly what you’d call a reward.

Take No. 4 seed Texas Tech as an example. They hadn’t played since December 6, and after a 26-day break, they lost 23-0 to Oregon. Ouch.

Lanning’s not the only one with complaints. The NFL’s schedule puts college football in a tough spot for both ratings and team performance.

The NFL’s Influence on College Football Scheduling

The NFL pretty much owns the sports calendar late in the year. College football ends up with scraps for its playoff games.

During the college regular season, the NFL stays off Saturdays. But once that’s over, the NFL swoops in and takes those slots.

This year, the NFL had games on December 20, December 27, January 3, and January 10. All of them overlapped with college football playoff games.

It’s not surprising that college football playoff games got lower ratings when they went up against the NFL. The December 20 CFP games—James Madison vs. Tulane—were the lowest-rated of the playoffs. The NFL broadcasts didn’t help.

Impact on Teams and Coaches

The CFP schedule is a headache for coaches and players, too. The transfer portal opens January 2, just days after the title game.

That makes things tough for coaches changing jobs and for players figuring out their next move. Lanning pointed out that dragging the season out until January 19 just throws everything out of sync.

He floated the idea of a tighter schedule—maybe cutting a bye week or starting in “Week 0.” That’d move conference championships to November 29 and kick off the playoffs the next weekend, aiming for a championship on New Year’s Day.

Proposed Solutions for a Better Playoff System

So, what could actually work here? A few ideas keep coming up:

• Condensed Schedule: Start the season earlier or drop a bye week, so the playoffs wrap up by January 1.
• Home Games for Top Seeds: Let the top four teams host playoff games. No more punishing them with long breaks.
• Dedicated College Football Saturdays: Keep Saturdays for college football during the playoffs, no NFL allowed.

Condensed Schedule

One fix is starting in “Week 0” or ditching a bye week. That would push conference championships to late November.

The playoffs could start in early December, with semifinals on December 20 and the title game on New Year’s Day. Shorter layoff, less chaos before the transfer portal opens.

Home Games for Top Seeds

Right now, the top four teams don’t get home playoff games. That’s reserved for teams ranked 5-8, who play on their own turf in the first round.

If the top four could host, it’d actually reward them for a great regular season—and maybe keep them sharper for their first playoff game.

Dedicated College Football Saturdays

To steer clear of NFL competition, college football could try to lock down exclusive Saturdays for the playoffs. No NFL games to steal the spotlight.

That might boost viewership and keep the playoff atmosphere intact. Would the NFL ever agree? Hard to say, but it’s worth a shot.

Looking Ahead: The Future of the College Football Playoff

The 12-team playoff format is still pretty new, but it’s already showing some big issues. The CFP needs to act fast to keep top-seeded teams from feeling left out and to hold onto any sense of competitive balance in the postseason.

Maybe it’s time to try a shorter schedule. Or let the top seeds play at home. Even just going back to real college football Saturdays could make things better for everyone—teams, coaches, and fans.

For more insights and updates on the College Football Playoff scheduling problem, check out Outkick.