Florida State-Georgia series cancellation is ominous sign for future of college football

The college football playoff could expand to 24 teams — and a lot of people aren’t happy about it. After just moving to 12, this feels like overkill. Is the sport trying to fix something that wasn’t broken?

What makes college football special, and for some fans, superior to the NFL, is that big games mean something. 

The shorter regular season, smaller playoff field relative to the size of the sport, historic rivalries and the organization of teams into (formerly) regional conferences created a unique dynamic. Non-conference games between historic programs are must-see TV, not just because of the stakes, but because fan bases and conferences rely on those results. 

And the unfortunate reality of how the sport is organized in the modern era is that those big non-conference games are going to become less and less common. Which is precisely the opposite of what most college football fans want. 

The 12-team College Football Playoff has already created incentives for easier schedules. Notre Dame being perhaps the best example. The Irish have, historically, never shied away from tough games, despite being an independent program. But a new arrangement with the College Football Playoff committee has guaranteed them a spot in the tournament moving forward should they finish in the top 12.

Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman adjusts his radio on the sideline during the game against Boise State at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025. (Michael Caterina/Imagn Images)

FIVE SEC TRAP GAMES IN 2026 THAT COULD UPEND THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RACE, FROM LSU TO GEORGIA

Their schedule in 2026 reflects that reality: Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, Rice, Michigan State, at Purdue, at North Carolina, Stanford, at BYU, Navy, Miami,