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Report: NFL playoffs set to expand beginning in 2021 season
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If you want more playoff football, you’ll be getting just that in the near future.
Tuesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported that league owners have voted to approve the expansion of the playoffs, beginning in the 2021 season. The playoffs will now expand from 12 teams to 14 teams, meaning one more squad will make the postseason per conference.
With the expansion, it means that only the No. 1 seed in each conference will receive a bye in the opening round of the playoffs.
The NFL owners have confirmed, via a vote on today’s teleconference, that there will be expanded playoffs after the 2020 season, source said. Expected and now official. One more team per conference.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 31, 2020
This marks the first time the NFL has expanded the playoff field since the 2002 season, when the league officially had 32 teams.
Conversations about expanding the playoffs had been happening for quite some time now, and the collective bargaining agreement that was reached earlier this month helped league owners reach this decision. There is also a chance that the NFL adds one more game to the regular season, bumping from 16 to 17 games.
Right now, the expansion of the regular season has not been voted on, but it could be a possibility in the future.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB