MAC and the new College Football Playoff
MAC Part of College Football Playoff
Beginning with the 2014-15 season, college football will enter a new four-team playoff era. Two College Football Playoff Semifinals will be played in bowl games this year (Sugar Bowl; Rose Bowl) and the College Football Playoff National Championship will be played in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 12.
The two Semifinals and four other premier bowl games (Orange Bowl; Cotton Bowl; Peach Bowl; Fiesta Bowl) will be played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Semifinal games will rotate among these six different bowls. All MAC programs will join every FBS team in college football with equal access to the playoff based upon its performance. No team will qualify automatically.
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee will choose four teams for the playoffs based on body of work, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, comparison of results against common opponents, championships won and other factors. The highest ranked program by the Selection Committee from either the MAC, American Athletic, Conference USA, Mountain West or Sun Belt Conferences will play annually in one of the premier bowl games.
