Why Nick Saban feels expanding College Football Playoff could be a good thing

Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban walks the field before the game against Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, MS on Saturday, Sep 30, 2023.

Just one year after expanding the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, conference commissioners met in New York on May 8 and tossed around the idea of a 16-team playoff, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

At the Nick’s Kids golf tournament on Tuesday, Nick Saban was asked about further playoff expansion.

“Back in the years I was never for expanding the playoff because I thought bowl games were really important to the history and tradition of college football,” Saban said. “Now that we have expanded the playoff, now the bowl games have taken a less significant role. I think expanding the playoff and having as many teams involved as we can —without playing too many games for the players. I think that’s a little bit of a concern — is probably a good thing.”

Before the College Football Playoff, players hardly ever opted out of bowl games. Every now and then, one of the nation’s top NFL prospects would opt out of a bowl game, but it became more common as the playoffs expanded. 

With the playoffs being 12 teams, all six of the New Year’s bowl games are viewed with the same prestige before the 4-team playoff started.  

In the College Football Playoff era, Alabama is one of the few programs that have had the majority of its starters play in its non-playoff bowl game appearances regardless of what bowl it is. 

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