Kicking Off College Football: The 12-Team Playoff And More!

August 29, 2024

Now that the summer is coming to a close, college football season is finally upon us! Saturdays are sacred this time of year, and we can’t wait for countless tailgates, nail-biting fourth quarters, and the electric kind of atmosphere that only college football can provide. Not to mention, this year’s season has the potential to reshape the landscape of college football for years to come with the introduction of the 12-team playoff. 

A New Playoff

It’s no secret that the four-team playoff system has been debated for years. Many have felt like it left out some deserving teams and limited the potential for a lot of talented programs. Whether it be because of the lack of fairness or the untapped excitement, the four-team playoff is a thing of the past, at least for now. Enter the 12-team playoff! While this change brings a lot of uncertainty, it will undoubtedly also bring some new excitement and drama into the 2024 playoff and bowl season. 

With this new system, the top four conference champions will receive first-round byes, while the eight remaining teams will play in the first round. This first round will already be making college football history, as each game will be played at the higher seed’s home field (for the first time ever in CFB)! This new layer of intensity is one we’re eager to see play out. 

More Teams, More Possibilities, More Hope 

While this new playoff system will certainly shake things up, it might prove to be more fulfilling for teams and spectators alike. After all, it’s an opportunity for more teams to compete and strive for a national championship. Before, there were only a handful of teams who could realistically aspire to make the playoffs, but now, more teams are setting their sights on postseason possibilities. This opens the door for some potential upsets and unpredictable outcomes – two things that keep college football fans on their toes!

The 12-team playoff may even create stronger fan bases. Conference championships and rivalry games will be even more energetic than before, and every game nearing the postseason will matter. Now that more fan bases will feel like their team has a shot at the playoffs, we might be seeing some higher stakes and more passionate fans (as if we don’t already have enough of those).

Unique Fan Travel Opportunities

With more engaged fan bases and the addition of on-campus playoff games, this upcoming season offers more fan travel opportunities than ever before. The season ahead holds a lot of unknowns, but it’s likely that some teams may be making playoff appearances for the first time ever! No die-hard fan is going to miss that. 

At SET, we specialize in crafting these kinds of unique fan travel experiences. We handle all the details so you can focus on cheering for your distinctive team. As the 2024 season starts, we’re excited to host our university travel partners on the road, and we can’t wait to see what this new playoff season brings with fan travel. After all, college football is evolving, and the journey to the trophy just got a whole lot more interesting!

As we get SET for the season, we want to share our appreciation and wish all of our university partners good luck. We’ll see you at a stadium near you!