The final year of the four-team college football playoff era
In short: College football underwent a massive structural shift in 2023. While fans watched the Michigan Wolverines secure their first title in the modern era, the sport was quietly preparing for its biggest expansion yet—moving from a four-team bracket to a twelve-team tournament.
The 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season marked the conclusion of the four-team College Football Playoff (CFP) system. This era culminated in a national championship at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, where the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Washington Huskies 34–13. For Michigan, this victory represented their first national title since the inception of the CFP and their 12th overall. The season also saw Jayden Daniels of LSU claim the Heisman Trophy after setting a new NCAA single-season passer rating record.
Beyond the scoreboard, the 2023 season served as a laboratory for significant rule changes designed to alter the flow of play. To mirror NFL standards, teams were prohibited from calling consecutive timeouts during a single dead ball period. Additionally, the game clock would no longer stop for first downs on offense except during the final two minutes of each half—a move similar to rules used in the UFL and XFL. These changes aimed to increase the continuity of the game while maintaining specific control points.
The year also saw a major overhaul of governance and conference realignment. The NCAA eliminated the limit on 'initial counters' for athletic financial aid and removed football attendance requirements for FBS membership. Meanwhile, the landscape shifted as schools like Delaware began transitions to the FBS, and the 'Pac-2' (Oregon State and Washington State) entered scheduling agreements with the Mountain West. These structural shifts, combined with new scholarship funding mandates starting in 2027, set the stage for a more complex era of collegiate athletics.
Finally, the season highlighted a push toward inclusivity and modernization. Fresno State made history by broadcasting its home opener as the first-ever FBS game aired exclusively in Spanish on linear television. This move reflected the demographics of the city of Fresno, which is roughly 60% Hispanic. From rule changes to media expansion, 2023 was less a standalone season and more a bridge to a new era of the sport.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season
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