Kirby Smart’s focus is on Georgia’s upcoming matchup with Ole Miss this weekend. But in a recent interview with Pat McAfee on Friday he was asked about the potential for the College Football Playoff to expand beyond 12 teams.
And the response Smart gave is something not many college football fans will agree with.
“I would love to see a bigger pool of teams make the playoff, because that’s what all our fanbases want is an opportunity to do that.”
NEW: Georgia’s Kirby Smart endorses College Football Playoff expansion:
— On3 (@On3sports) October 17, 2025
“I would love to see a bigger pool of teams make the playoff, because that’s what all our fanbases want is an opportunity to do that.”
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Kirby Smart is in favor of College Football Playoff expansion
The 2025 season is only the second year that the playoff will feature 12 teams. Even though this edition of the playoff is still so new, there have been a lot of discussions about it expanding beyond 12 teams as soon as the 2026 season. And according to Smart, he is in favor of further expansion.
The main reason Smart is in favor of expansion is because it will mean more games in the playoff for fans to enjoy. While that is technically true, fans don't want more games, they want more meaningful games. And if the CFP expands beyond 12 teams that just means more meaningless postseason games that the sport doesn't need.
Just think about the average team that finishes just outside the top 12 at No. 15. They typically are a 9-3 or 8-4 team that has already shown they are not capable of winning a National Championship. So why do they get the right to play for a national title then?
Expanding the playoff further will actually do more harm than good because it will make the regular season less meaningful. College football used to be the greatest sport in the world because it was the only sport where one loss would eilimante a team from being able to win a National Championship. Now there is a chance a team could lose four games and still make the playoff, and that doesn't sound right.
Unfortunately it sounds like it is just a matter of time until the playoff expands. For Georgia this means they will likely never miss the playoff field again, but that isn't worth it if it means devaluing the sport in many other ways.