Insider Josh Pate makes his case for solving College Football Playoff's quarterfinal problem

This season, the College Football Playoff was expanded to a 12-team format. The new format has undeniably been successful, drawing fans to watch and discuss the games online. However, there has also been discussion about whether the new format makes it less likely for the best team to win.

Notably, many games in the first and second rounds of the playoff were blowouts. Every first-round matchup had at least a 10-point difference, and the only close quarterfinal matchup was Texas' 39–31 double-overtime win over Arizona State.

One issue many fans and media members have pointed to is that all games from the quarterfinal onward are played at bowl sites. As a result, the higher-seeded teams do not get home-field advantage. While this makes sense when the games get to the semifinals and all teams are strong (usually), many people believe home-field advantage should exist in the quarterfinals.

On Saturday, college football writer Ross Dellenger reported the following via a tweet:

"CFP director Rich Clark says he expects commissions to at least “talk about” the future sites of the playoff quarterfinals, which are currently at bowl sites. Could they move on campus? It’s a discussion, at the very least for 2026 and beyond."

Insider Josh Pate responded to the report with the following tweet:

"When I am CFB Commissioner, quarterfinal games on campus will be more than just a discussion - they will be signed into CFB law via executive order on day one."

The College Football Playoff would favor better teams with fewer games played at bowl sites

The College Football Playoff typically plays its playoff games off-campus and at bowl sites. However, this format takes away an advantage that higher-ranked teams have earned throughout a season of strong play.

In other big North American sports like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, playoff games are all played at home sites, except the Super Bowl. As a result, the higher-seeded team has the advantage of playing the game at home in the case of the NFL, or more games at home in the case of the other three sports. Josh Pate believes it makes sense for college football to adopt this format.