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Oklahoma football: It’s now official; CFP expanding to 12 teams in 2024

By Chip Rouse

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: The National Championship Trophy is seen on the field prior to the 2022 CFP National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: The National Championship Trophy is seen on the field prior to the 2022 CFP National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma football has been to four of the eight College Football Playoffs, but with the Sooners pending move to the SEC, making college football’s final four will be much more challenging.

That challenge became a bit easier on Thursday when the members of the CFP Board of Managers agreed to expand the playoff to 12 teams beginning in the 2024 season.

Talk of expanding the four-team playoff format began over a year ago, but the process has been moving quickly over the past six months.

“Everyone realized that this change is in the best interest of college football and pulled together to make it happen,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, who also happens to be an Oklahoma alum, in a press release issued by the CFP.

"“More teams and more access mean more excitement for fans, alumni, students and student athletes,” he said."

This is good for Oklahoma and other top-ranked teams, It increases and extends the competitive nature of the season and makes it possible for teams that are not conference champions to make it into the playoff field.

According to the details released by the CFP managment, the first round of the College Football Playoff in 2024 will take place the week of Dec. 21 at either the home field of the higher-seeded team or at another site designated by the higher-seeded school. The No. 12 seed will play the No. 5 seed, 11 seed vs. 6 seed, 4 seed vs. 10 seed and No. 7 and 9 seed vs. 8 seed.

The top four ranked teams in the final College Football Playoff rankings will earn first-round byes.

The four quarterfinal games and two playoff semifinal games will be held at designated bowls on a rotational basis, similar to how the CFP is currently conducted. In 2024, the quarterfinal round will be held at the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The semifinals will be played at the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl.

Specific dates for the quarterfinal games and semifinals will be announced at a later date. The 2025 national championship game will be played Jan. 20, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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