Stadium Poll: 88 Percent of FBS ADs Favor Expanded College Football Playoff

An overwhelming 88 percent of Football Bowl Subdivision athletic directors said they want to see the College Football Playoff expand after the playoff agreement expires following the 2025 season.

Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported Wednesday that 112 of the 130 FBS ADs responded to the outlet's survey about the state of college football. Of the respondents, 72 percent were in favor of an eight-team playoff, and 8 percent suggested a substantial increase to 16 qualifiers.

"More and more fans are only concerned with the playoffs," a Power Five AD told McMurphy. "That's sad, but true, so we should expand the playoffs when possible. Even if that impacts the bowl system. We have to figure out a way."

Most athletic directors (66 percent) were also in favor of making sure at least one playoff team comes from outside of the Power Five conferences. Just 8 percent said the field should be the top eight teams regardless.

The location of the quarterfinal games if the CFP went to eight qualifiers was the only source of notable disagreement. The vote was nearly an even split, with 53 percent wanting the game to be on the campus of the higher seed and 47 percent in favor of a neutral site.

A Power Five AD said:

"If we wanted to have the bowl games host the quarterfinal rounds, it would seem like an easy solution. You could use the existing New Year's Six bowls to rotate every year so that four would host quarterfinal rounds and the remaining two the semifinals. It would, however, be a concern about the ability of fanbases to travel to multiple bowl sites."

College Football Playoff president Bill Hancock told Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today in January that he didn't expect any changes in the immediate future.

"The CFP works, and the people in charge are happy with it," Hancock said in January. "Having said that, my bosses are talking about the future, and I expect they will continue to talk. It's good and responsible management to address the future. But nothing is imminent."

Alabama and Clemson have found the most success in the playoff era. The Crimson Tide and Tigers have each qualified five times in six years and won two national championships.

Notre Dame, an independent, is the only program from outside of the Power Five to reach the CFP.