Joel Klatt wants change to College Football Playoff scheduling

The debate around where College Football Playoff quarterfinal games should be held has intensified, and Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has made his stance unmistakably clear. Klatt believes the next step in the Playoff’s evolution is obvious: reward top teams with true home-field advantage instead of neutral-site matchups.

On The Joel Klatt Show, he expressed frustration with the current setup that sends high seeds to bowl venues instead of their home stadiums. To him, the shift from tradition to fairness is long overdue. “Put the quarterfinal games on campus,” Klatt said. “No one wants to see Ole Miss play Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. But do you want to see Ole Miss go to Columbus? Yes. Give these teams the reward they earned during the regular season. Put the quarterfinals on campus. It’s not that hard.”

Klatt’s comments echo a growing sentiment across college football that the sport’s new 12-team Playoff format is a step forward in theory but flawed in execution.

Growing Calls for On-Campus College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Games

From Eugene to Columbus, players, coaches, and fans have rallied around the same idea: quarterfinals belong on campus. The first round of this year’s expanded Playoff already demonstrated how electric campus environments can be. Fans in Austin, South Bend, and State College delivered packed stadiums and local energy that neutral bowls struggle to replicate.

Last year, Rece Davis called it out directly during College GameDay, describing the bowl atmosphere as having “a certain sterileness” when compared with what fans experienced on campuses. That contrast, he argued, captures why common sense and fairness should guide the next Playoff reform.

The issue extends beyond aesthetics. Current arrangements make it harder for fan bases to travel repeatedly through December and January. A SEC program, for example, could end up sending supporters to Atlanta (SEC Championship), New Orleans (quarterfinal), Atlanta (semifinal), and Miami (national championship) within a month, a financial and logistical burden for even the most passionate followers.