Enhanced Bowl Season vs. 16-team Playoff

A 16-team playoff most closely resembles the "NFL-style playoff" feared by college football administrators. This structure would destroy traditional bowl alliances; further, it poses the greatest threat to devaluing regular season games by overly-expanding the postseason and including potentially unworthy teams. The biggest advantage of the 16-team format is providing access to historically disadvantaged conferences and utilizing a direct-elimination tournament, both of which are accomplished by the EBS.

Click on each symbol below (box will turn grey) to read the reasons for the specific rating.

- Yes

- Limited

- No

Criteria	EBS	16-Team Playoff
Crowns a definitive and widely accepted national champion
EBS: A 12-team tournament ensures that under most circumstances all teams worthy of an opportunity to win a national championship are given that chance. The "playoff" (one element of the EBS) is consistent with the format used by every other NCAA team sport.
16-Team: Like a 12-teams system, a playoff with sufficient teams ensures worthy contenders are not denied a chance at a national title.
Ensures BCS conference champions play in premier bowl
EBS: All BCS conference champions are ensured a spot in the 12-team EBS tournament.
16-Team: All BCS conference champions are ensured a spot in the playoffs.
Maintains traditional bowl affiliations for conference champions
EBS: Teams receiving byes are placed in bowls based on traditional bowl affiliations. However, this allows for only one team to be placed per bowl and the conference champion must be one of the four bye teams.
16-Team: With all teams playing in first round games, there is no guarantee that conference champion will advance to play in the bowls with which they are traditionally affiliated. It is also possible that the additional games may necessitate the use of “home sites” instead of bowls.
Provides access to non-BCS conference champions
EBS: The highest-ranked non-BCS conference champion is guaranteed a spot in the post season.
16-Team: With an increased field, it is more likely that non-BCS conference champions can earn a spot in the playoffs.
Provides access to all teams worthy of a chance at a national championship
EBS: With all six BCS conference champions, at least one non-BCS conference champion, and potentially five at-large bids, it is very unlikely that a team deserving of a chance at the national title would be excluded.
16-Team: With 16 teams, it is nearly impossible a team worthy of competing for a national championship would be left out of the playoffs.
Prevents unworthy teams from having a chance at a national championship
EBS: With the possibility of a weak conference champion and as many as five at-large bids, it is possible a team with several losses would be included in the tournament
16-Team: With so many at-large bids, it is almost certain that teams who could not be considered national title contenders would be included in the playoffs
Maintains the importance of the regular season for teams with the same number of losses as the #1 ranked team (i.e., an undefeated team)
EBS: By making available first round byes, even teams who have sewn up an EBS tournament berth still need to maintain their standing as one of the top 4 teams.
16-Team: Even if a late-season loss were to cost a team a conference championship, they would still be assured one of the 10 at-large bids.
Maintains the importance of regular season games for teams with one or two more losses than the #1 ranked team (i.e., one loss teams when the #1 team is undefeated).
EBS: Quality teams with only one or two losses to top teams are still very much in the hunt for the national championship. Although their path to a championship is deservingly more difficult, for these teams, their regular season is still “the most important regular season in collegiate athletics.” Another loss would eliminate them from the tournament.
16-Team: All teams are battling for at-large spots.
Produces compelling matchups to attract a national TV audience in majority of bowl games
EBS: By the very nature of a national championship tournament and because of a lack of potentially lopsided matchups, all games are compelling.
16-Team: The potential for lopsided first round matchups means not all games are compelling.
Advances the interest in minor bowl games
EBS: Because first round sites are hosted by minor bowls, these bowls can leverage this added interest to non-Tournament years. Non-tournament games get attention by taking place during "bowl week," sandwiched between the first round and the quarterfinals.
16-Team: A properly formed 16-team playoff can incorporate minor bowls and help bolster their stature.
Allows fans to enjoy the complete bowl experience
EBS: The byes and extended period between first and second round games allow fans to travel to bowl sites and enjoy extend stays. The later-round games will continue to be “destination events” where fans attend regardless of competing teams. In the current system, only about 1/3 of tickets for many bowls go to schools; rest are allocated to annual renewals, corporate partners, and local residents.
16-Team: The number of games and opening round games at less accommodatingly located minor bowls would deny fans the full bowl experience.
Student-athletes not subjected to excessive number of games
EBS: Teams play at most four postseason games, but given the fact that the highest-ranked, and presumably best, teams receive a bye, teams expected to play in the championship game would play at most three postseason games. At most a team would play 16 games, similar to games played by national champions in Division I-AA (15 games), Division II (15-16 games), and Division III (14-15). Unlike these division, those at DI-A would benefit from a several week rest between the regular season and the postseason.
16-Team: Any team competing in the championship game would have to play four postseason games.