The biggest change college football will undergo in 2024 is the expansion of the playoff. Here are the basics. 12 teams, guaranteed bids for the top five conference champions in the CFP rankings; no conference will have an automatic bid, a conference must have a minimum of eight members for its champion to be eligible for a guaranteed bid. (Sorry PAC 2). At-large bids for the seven highest-ranked remaining teams. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive first-round byes. (Stupid- the Big XII or ACC Champion wouldn't finish top 3 in the SEC). The remaining teams will play each other in the first round at the home fields of the better seeds, matched in the standard format of 5–12, 6–11, 7–10, and 8–9. (Not sure why the tops teams shouldn't get to play a home game for a round as well). The quarterfinals and semifinals will be hosted by the New Year's Six (the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, and Sugar bowls) on a rotating basis. No reseeding. The first round games will occur in December, quarterfinal games on or around New Year's Day, semifinal games at least one week later, and the championship game one week after the semifinals.

This season also is the year that the most drastic conference realignment in history will occur. Every major conference is seeing big changes. 134 schools will compete at the FBS level this season with Delaware and Missouri State coming in 2025.

ACC: The ACC is the one to watch in 2025 and 2026 as it will be the next to be raided. FSU and Clemson want out. For now, the ACC was the last guy at the bar after Stanford and Cal were passed over by the Big XII and Big Ten. They found their way into the ACC. SMU also joined. The ACC has 17 schools heading into the 2024 season, and Notre Dame still has a five-game arrangement with the conference. No divisions, eight conference games.

Big Ten: The Big Ten did everything they could to keep pace with the SEC after OU and Texas were added. They raided the PAC 12's biggest names. Oregon, Southern Cal, Washington, and UCLA are in. No divisions and nine conference games.

Big 12: The conference added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF for the 2023 season and lost Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC in 2024. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are joining the Big 12 in 2024. Nine conference games and no divisions. Expect the Big 12 to pick some meat off the ACC's bones in the next 24 months.

SEC: Texas and Oklahoma, the two that started this round of conference realignment, head to the SEC a year earlier than originally planned. No divisions anymore, still eight conference games. (Stop asking for nine- Carolina's schedule is difficult enough).

AAC: 14 schools for this season. SMU left for the ACC and will start in 2024 but the conference added Army in return. Cincinnati, Houston and UCF left for the Big 12 in 2023. The AAC added six schools from Conference-USA in Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA. Eight conference games, no divisions.

Conference USA: 10 schools for this season. Kennesaw State is joining the conference - they are also the only new FBS school for 2024. Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA left for the American Athletic Conference in 2023. New Mexico State, Liberty, Sam Houston and Jacksonville State joined the conference in 2023. Delaware and Missouri State will join the conference in 2025. Eight conference games, no divisions.

MAC: The model of consistency for college football. The 12 members have been in the league since 1998. UMass joins the league in 2025. Eight conference games and two divisions. Winners of the divisions play in the conference title game.

Mountain West: Also no changes from the 12 members of recent years. San Diego State left a note that it intended to resign from the MWC then reaffirmed its membership last summer. No divisions, eight conference games.

Sun Belt: The Sun Belt also remains the same. The league added Marshall, Old Dominion, James Madison and Southern Miss in 2022. There are no plans to expand the conference at this time. The Sun Belt joins the MAC as the only other league in FBS football to keep divisions. Eight conferences games with division winners meeting for the conference championship.

PAC 2: Oregon State and Washington State are the PAC 12, likely for litigation reasons only. They'll need to find a new home soon or the league will need to raid the Mountain West and Conference USA to keep afloat.

Independents: BYU, Liberty and New Mexico State joined conferences in 2023. Army will join the American Athletic Conference in 2024. Notre Dame, UConn, and UMass are the only three Independents remaining. If the ACC crumbles- Notre Dame's status will get interesting. UMass joins the MAC in 2025.

The college game continues to get closer and closer to the NFL game. The two-minute warning is being added this season and it will mirror the NFL's two-minutes stoppage. College is also implementing the use of technology similar to the NFL. (This should cut down on notorious sign stealers like an ACC school in this state). Coaches will be allowed to communicate with one player, identified by a green dot on the back of their helmet, on the field. That earpiece is supposed to be turned off with 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever occurs first.

Teams can now use tablets to review in-game video only. Schools will be allocated 18 tablets that can be utilized in the coaching booth, on the sideline and in locker rooms.

The other rule changes are relatively minor. Horse collar tackles that occur within the tackle box will draw a 15-yard personal foul. Conferences have the option to use a collaborative video replay review system. More pointless in-game head coach interviews after the first and third quarters.

Excited about any of these changes? Let us know on the Insiders Forum.