There is an old proverb that states that nothing succeeds like success. The success of this year’s four team college football playoff will inevitably lead to more success for college football fans – a bigger playoff in the future. Long gone are the days of the media and coaches – and their inherent biases – crowning a national champion in their respective polls. The BCS system alleviated some of the controversies of this, but in turn, created more controversies of its own. Though some of college football’s old guard had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the playoff era, few can argue that the playoff has not already been a resounding success.

The semifinal games between Alabama versus Ohio and Oregon and Florida State were entertaining. Not only were the games entertaining for fans, but they were entertaining for ESPN executives who reveled in the fact that those two games were the highest rated programs in basic cable history – ever. The advertising rates that ESPN will be able to charge for next year’s semifinal games must have ESPN executives already salivating. And certainly, there must be executives who are salivating at the thought of being able to show twice as many games with those ad rates.

Opponents of the playoff system argued that a playoff would be too strenuous on student athletes. That argument is probably a moot point now that they have been shown the money, aka the ratings. Money is power and universities, conferences, the NCAA and ESPN all love money and power. Obviously, the non power-five conferences would be in favor of an eight-team playoff. This would give a non power-five conference school a greater chance of being in a highly lucrative playoff bowl. After this season, the Big 12 should be in favor of an eight-team playoff after Texas Christian and Baylor were controversially left out of the four team playoff.

Even though the Big Ten and the Pac-12 are represented in the national title game, in the old BCS system, both conferences might have been on the outside looking in. If the past decade or so is any indication of more to come, the SEC would be highly in favor of an eight-team playoff since it would have a decent shot of having two teams included in the playoff most of the time with a good chance of having three teams in it some years.

That leaves the ACC. Florida State was virtually guaranteed a spot in the four team playoff this year, but generally, the national perception is that the ACC is usually one of the weaker conferences. No matter the perception of the ACC in a given year, an eight team playoff would greatly help that league’s chance of being represented in an eight-team playoff in the years that it does not have a Florida State type juggernaut.

Though it might not be an old proverb, but there is another popular saying: money talks. When money talks, ESPN, the NCAA and the college conferences will walk.