Scott asked the committee to consider expansion because of the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 seasonGETTY IMAGES
College Football Playoff Exec Dir Bill Hancock indicated that Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott asked the CFP management committee to "consider expanding this year's playoff to eight teams but the proposal was declined," according to Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY. Scott asked the committee to consider expansion "because of the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 season, notably in how restrictions and varied start dates have many conferences playing different numbers of games." Hancock said, "Clearly there will be challenges this year. We will see what those challenges are and work through them. But the committee’s fundamental mission has not changed" (USA TODAY, 10/1). ESPN.com's Heather Dinich noted although the playoff "won't expand this season, the commissioners have reviewed the current format annually." Yesterday's meeting was the "first time, though, that it became public that one Power 5 commissioner had specifically pitched an eight-team format to the group for consideration." Hancock explained, "They decided that doing that now would be such a significant change, and come with so many challenges, especially given the timing with the season already underway, that they concluded that the best outcome would be to make no changes in the format" (ESPN.com, 9/30).
