Latest bowl shutdowns raise new questions about College Football Playoff expansion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ford Field made it official this week. There will be no bowl game in Detroit in 2026. Last year, the Northwestern Wildcats defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 34-7 in the bowl finale.
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With that announcement, the GameAbove Sports Bowl is done after nearly 30 years in the city under various names. In its statement, the stadium pointed to “the end of our current naming rights partnership” and said it was “the right time to adjust our focus to invest in sports at all levels and other entertainment events.”
Detroit joins Los Angeles and the Bahamas as recent bowl locations that have fallen off future calendars. That means two indoor NFL venues in major media markets have now stepped away from hosting traditional stand alone bowl games.
That is not nothing.
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Because the sport is stuck in playoff limbo. The College Football Playoff remains at 12 teams for at least another year after expansion talks stalled between the Big Ten Conference and the Southeastern Conference. The Big Ten has reportedly for at least 20 teams. The SEC has shown little appetite to go beyond 16. That philosophical divide has frozen the bracket in place.
And here is where Detroit and Los Angeles become more than trivia.
In a 20, 24, or 28 team format, first round games would likely stay on campus. But additional rounds could shift to neutral sites. Climate controlled NFL stadiums in major markets would almost certainly receive serious consideration. A playoff elimination game in Detroit or Los Angeles would not resemble a mid-tier December bowl. Attendance would surge. Ticket pricing would change. National relevance would spike overnight.
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There are still viable host cities. Tampa, Orlando, Charlotte, Jacksonville and Nashville are a few. both of which have new stadiums coming online in the next couple of years. The infrastructure exists in multiple markets that could absorb an expanded playoff footprint.
But that is only part of the equation.
What makes the recent shutdowns concerning is the uncertainty. If two NFL venues in major markets can decide the current bowl model no longer works, it becomes fair to wonder which game might be next. Three closures do not signal collapse. Bowl season will survive in some form.
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Still, the ground is shifting.
Expansion could revive certain markets. It could squeeze others out entirely. And until the playoff structure is settled, every bowl outside the top tier feels like it is waiting to see where it lands.
