he Pac-12 champion is not eligible for an automatic qualifying spot in the next two years. However, the champion of a rebuilt Pac-12 may be eligible for an automatic bid starting in 2026.
The 2024–25 College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams, with the top five conference champions receiving guaranteed bids. The remaining seven spots will be filled by at-large bids, which could include additional conference champions. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive first-round byes.
So it appears to me that the PAC12 is striving to remain one of the Top Five conferences. I don't know that would be a "given" with the revamped league; could the AAC, the SBC, or others, be judged the fifth league over the PAC12 beginning in 2026? The way I read this, there is no guarantee of any conference in the playoff, but would could ever imagine a year where the current P4 leagues wouldn't be the topf four conferences.
It is not the top 5 conferences, it is the top 5 conference champions. Which is different. The P12 could be ranked as the 5th best conference, but if Appy State was a higher ranked team in the poll, Appy would go to these playoffs.
As the playoffs play out over the years the issue, much like the old times when there was a Big Least/Leastleftovers becomes apparent. Someone has to be the 4th best conference champion. That is the "Big" 12 and the "Big" 12 is light years behind the three true major conferences. And they will get a bye, and get assreamed, every year, by the 3rd or 4th place team from one of the three true major conferences.
Below that, the P12 can call this the P12, but its not. It is one of the "group of 6". It will get the 5th place slot, now and then, but so will the other G6 conferences.
They may be but they aren't getting shit for recognition, other than UCF - when they were there and Memphis, the league has dropped in stature. Now the SB is ranked better in just about every service that ranks leagues. So take the money, those don't win games. Charlotte and others are a joke. Pretenders. They may have more money but for the most part, those programs are down when it comes to performance on the field.
Heck, look at us, we supposedly dumped more money into the football budget and other the wins at ND and against Tech, hasn't helped us. Jmo
The AAC is still based on the same lie it has always been based on. Being IN a place is the same as being SIGNIFICANT IN a place. Leaving out ECU, which needs to get in the SBC yesterday, what is the AAC? A bunch of teams in big cities, where 99.999% of people follow the P4 team(s) from that state and/or the NFL.
That is never going to change. Memphis, or South Florida, or you name it, could win the AAC 10 years in a row. Most people locally wont care.
