CFB world reacts to director Rich Clark sparking quarterfinal hopes

As the first 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP) draws near its end, CFP executive director Rich Clark spoke about the first expanded playoffs. One idea that he floated around was having more CFP games on campus.

"We’ll talk about it for sure," Clark said. "The campus games were amazing. That atmosphere, and what went on there, and certainly a lot of people are very interested. But the quarterfinals and the semifinals were amazing, too."

For this edition of the CFP, only the first round was played on campus. While results weren’t particularly close, the atmospheres at South Bend, Happy Valley, Austin, and Columbus were electric.

“The round of 8 should be on campus as well. That's one way to actually reward the higher seeds. Oregon and Georgia, who won their conferences, would have had home games against Ohio State and Notre Dame,” Trevor McCue of “Maize and Blue Review” said.

“Yay - We have a model, right. Basketball. Go to 16 teams, first 2 rounds on campus, seeding based solely on perceived strength,” a fan said.

“To me it makes sense. Less expensive on half the fans plus a reward to local businesses that have been shafted,” another fan wrote.

“This should be a no brainer. It’s absurd that the 5-8 seeds get a home game while 1-4 don’t,” a fan posted.

Other fans think that before making such a move, the CFP committee should also have a balance of play and scheduling.

“Yes, but are basically gimme wins for the home team also,” a fan said.

“What about the student body being on Christmas break and not necessarily being at school?” another fan wrote.

What is Rich Clark's timeline for a possible on-campus quarterfinal?

While Rich Clark said having more games on campus is under consideration, there’s still a long way to go before it happens.

The first thing is that the commissioners have to agree to this measure. Having all conference representatives agree on topics regarding the postseason isn’t always easy. Clark also mentioned he doesn’t “know what the appetite is amongst the commissioners.”

The current contract is another roadblock, although it expires after the 2025-26 season. As of now, New Year’s Six bowls are included in the CFP because of a deal signed 10 years ago, originally for the four-team playoff.

With decision-makers still having to discuss the subject and the contract still running for one more year, any changes in the venues for CFP games are likely to come ahead of the 2026 season or beyond.