Three Major Reason why Tennessee is not expected to host a playoff game in 2024.

Three Major Reason why Tennessee is not expected to host a playoff game in 2024.

 

As of the latest College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, Tennessee is not expected to host a playoff game in 2024. The College Football Playoff system, which features a four-team field, will expand to a 12-team format starting in 2024, but the hosting responsibilities for these games will be determined by a few key factors, including rankings, location, and stadium capacity.

Currently, the CFP uses a system that places the top four ranked teams into “New Year’s Six” bowl games: the Cotton Bowl, the Rose Bowl, the Orange Bowl, and the Peach Bowl. These games have historically been neutral-site matchups. However, the new 12-team playoff structure will allow for higher-seeded teams to host games at their home stadiums during the first round of the playoffs, which will take place in December.

In the current 2024 playoff system, Tennessee is unlikely to host a game because its home stadium, Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, does not meet the criteria for a home playoff game. The new rules dictate that the stadiums hosting playoff games must be large enough to accommodate the expected influx of fans. With a capacity of around 101,000, Neyland Stadium is one of the largest in the country, but the criteria for hosting go beyond just stadium size. Factors like stadium infrastructure, fan amenities, and overall ability to host a national playoff atmosphere must be considered.

Additionally, the highest-seeded teams will have the advantage of hosting these early-round games, meaning Tennessee would need to be in the top four in the rankings to be in contention for hosting. The Volunteers have been a competitive program in recent years, but they have yet to fully secure a top-four spot in the rankings for the 2024 season. In the CFP rankings, Tennessee has remained a solid team but not quite at the level of the top-ranked programs like Georgia, Michigan, or Ohio State, which are the most likely candidates to host playoff games at their home stadiums.

In conclusion, while Tennessee’s fanbase and stadium could provide an excellent atmosphere for a home playoff game, the program’s ranking, combined with the new playoff format and other criteria, suggests that Knoxville is not currently positioned to host a College Football Playoff game. As the 12-team format evolves and as the Volunteers build their program further, the potential for future playoff games in Tennessee remains a possibility, but for now, the Vols are unlikely to host in 2024.