In June 2021, the College Football Playoff announced a proposal to expand to 12 teams, possibly as soon as 2024. Eight months and umpteen meetings later, that same organization announced, no, sorry, we won’t be doing that after all.

This being the goofily dysfunctional sport that it is, the board of presidents who oversee the panel of commissioners who stonewalled that proposal will now hold a meeting Friday to possibly reverse their decision and approve a 12-team CFP after all.

Got all that?

Of course, sources indicated there is no guarantee the presidents will formally green-light this thing Friday. There may be yet another “we held a meeting and agreed to meet again” press release. But all indications are that they’re right on the brink of authorizing expansion.

If only college football decision makers were as efficient as college football quarterbacks.

These guys were always going to arrive back where they started, because they all agree the four-team format is having too many unintended consequences. Too few schools from the same part of the country hogging all the spots. Too many non-competitive games. Too many star players opting out of ostensibly major bowl games.

Even SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, always quick to remind everyone, “We’re fine with four,” is not actually fine with four. He was one of the four working group members who authored that 12-team proposal. Not to mention, the chairman of the board of presidents holding this meeting Friday is the SEC’s representative, Mississippi State’s Mark Keenum.