CFP chair: Teams that make conference title games in 'high esteem' to playoff committee

CFP chair Boo Corrigan discusses conference expansion, realignment and playoff expansion

The chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee says teams that reach their respective conference championship games are viewed favorably by the committee when it comes time to select the final 4 teams.

"Teams that get to their conference championship game are in very high esteem of our committee," said Boo Corrigan, who is in his third season as CFP chair. "It's a body of work. We look at how a team performs over the entire season, but we certainly take into consideration how teams perform in their conference championship games."

Pac-12 struggles to produce consistent CFP contenders

The Pac-12 has struggled to produce consistent College Football Playoff contenders in recent years. Since 2016, only one Pac-12 team has reached the CFP semifinals (Washington in 2016).

Corrigan said the committee is aware of the Pac-12's struggles, but he emphasized that the committee evaluates each team on its own merits.

"We don't look at conferences," Corrigan said. "We look at teams. We evaluate each team on its own merits. We don't take into consideration what conference a team is in."

The Pac-12 is in the midst of a major conference realignment, with USC and UCLA set to join the Big Ten in 2024. Corrigan said the committee will continue to evaluate Pac-12 teams on their own merits, regardless of the conference's alignment.

CFP expansion to 12 teams coming in 2024

The College Football Playoff is set to expand to 12 teams in 2024. Corrigan said the committee is still working on the details of the expanded playoff, but he said he is excited about the opportunity to give more teams a chance to compete for the national championship.

"I think it's going to be great for college football," Corrigan said. "It's going to give more teams a chance to compete for the national championship, and it's going to make the regular season even more exciting."