Toledo hired Mike Jacobs as its new head football coach before this season with huge aspirations in mind.
Jacobs, who came aboard from FCS program Mercer, wants to make the College Football Playoff.
“This is about taking it and elevating it to the next level and making sure this is the best Group of Six program in the country and we’re in that College Football Playoff,” Jacobs said before the 2026 season, via the Toledo Blade. “It might seem close or far off, depending on what your perspective is… It’s about pushing it further. It’s about fine tuning and moving the needle farther than it’s ever been at Toledo. That’s the goal. That’s the destination.”
Toledo’s chances just got better.
The Rockets have been a strong Group of 6 program in recent seasons, just off the pace of the smaller program powerhouses, but expansion is coming, and Toledo will make a case to be at the table.
College Football Playoff Expansion
It was reported on Monday that the College Football Playoff will officially expand to 24 teams for the 2027 season.
That’ll included four Power 4 conference champions, the top-ranked Group of 6 team and then 19 at-large bids from the entire FBS.
It still won’t be easy for Toledo to get in, but the Rockets will have a better chance.
Before this season, Toledo’s Mike Jacobs said, “I think the FCS has got it right…if (the FBS) can find a way to mimic some of those things and as long as the G6 teams still have a place at the table, I’m all for it.”
The process didn’t result in a MAC auto-bid or anything like that, but that was frankly never on the table.
Adding more teams at least conceptually opens the door wider for the Rockets to reach their aspirations.
MAC Statement on CFP Expansion
The Mid-American Conference put out a statement after Monday’s news. This is how it reads in full:
“The Mid-American Conference has long advocated for greater access to the College Football Playoff and meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes to compete for a national championship. We are pleased that the MAC will have a place in an expanded 24-team playoff. At the same time, I believe we must ask an important question: Does continued expansion truly strengthen college football as a whole?
One of the great attributes of college football is the significance of its regular season. Every game matters. Rivalries matter. Conference championships matter. As we expand the postseason, we must be careful not to diminish the very qualities that have made college football such a compelling sport. We must also recognize that a larger playoff does not necessarily mean greater financial benefits for all conferences and institutions, making the long-term sustainability of the entire FBS an important consideration.
The expansion of the playoff creates opportunities, but a larger playoff alone does not define progress. Ultimately, the success of this new format will be measured by whether it strengthens college football as a whole, not simply by the number of teams competing for a national championship.”
That’s a thoughtful look at the whole picture.
Still, in the meantime, MAC teams like Toledo will be taking aim at a slightly larger target.
Toledo Rockets’ Playoff News is Major Update on MAC’s Future