NFL Denies Report That League Will Expand Playoffs With Additional WC Teams
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- In the NBA, 16 of the 30 teams make the playoffs each season.
The same number of teams make it in the NHL.
In Major League Baseball, 10 of 30 clubs qualify for the postseason. Prior to 2012, only eight teams made it each season.
Is the NFL looking to follow in baseball's footsteps and expand its number of playoff berths?
As it currently stands, 12 out of 32 teams make the playoffs. On Monday morning, radio host Dan Patrick said that the league is planning to add an additional wild-card team from each conference to the postseason tournament.
The league has denied the report.
"There (has) been no such decision," an NFL spokesperson wrote in an email, according to SI.com's Richard Deitsch. "It would require a vote of the clubs and it has not yet been taken up with them. If it's taken up this year, it would happen at the annual meeting in March. The agenda for the meeting has not been formulated."
Under the current format, the six teams from each conference that make the playoffs are the four division winners and two wild-card teams. The two teams with the best records get byes in the first round of the playoffs.
This past weekend, the Colts, Saints, Chargers and 49ers advanced to the divisional round.
On Saturday, the NFC West-champion Seahawks will take on the Saints and the AFC East-champion Patriots will host Andrew Luck and the Colts. On Sunday, the NFC South-champion Panthers will square off with the red-hot 49ers and the AFC West-champion Broncos will meet the Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
