The College Football Playoff officially greenlit a massive 24-team expansion, kicking off in the 2027 season, and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman isn’t even trying to hide who benefits most from the move. Freeman isn’t completely sold on the idea of making the playoff too big, but he absolutely understands how a larger field could be a game-changer for the Fighting Irish.
It’s All About ND, Baby
Adam Rittenberg shared Freeman’s comments on X, and the coach was pretty direct. He admitted he doesn’t want it to become “like March Madness, and have 60-something teams,” which, honestly, fair enough. But then came the absolute truth bomb. Freeman said, “the more opportunities we have to make the playoffs helps us. … That doesn’t mean it’s good for everybody else, but for us at Notre Dame, it’s a positive.” Talk about calling it like it is, right? He knows what’s good for his program, and he isn’t afraid to say it.
Why This Is a Game-Changer for the Irish
So, why is this specific expansion such an “obvious positive” for Notre Dame? Well, they’re an independent program. That means no conference championship game to snag an automatic bid, making their path to the playoff already way different than the big conference schools. A 24-team format? That means way more room for error. Even if they drop a couple of regular season games, they can still stay right in the national championship conversation. That’s huge! Freeman isn’t trying to hide his bias here, and honestly, why should he? It gives his program a better opportunity to compete for a national championship, plain and simple.
Of course, Freeman also understands the potential downside. The college football regular season has always carried an insane amount of weight, and there’s a legitimate debate about whether adding more teams could dilute that importance. But for Notre Dame, the benefits are clear. As we gear up for 2027, every program across the country will be eyeing those new playoff spots, but Freeman just laid out exactly why the Irish are feeling pretty good about it already.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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