With the new playoff format do you think there's any way USC/UCLA back out of Big Ten and/or Texas/USC of the SEC? Does this put a halt to super conferences?

Utah, the preseason PAC-12 favorites just went down to Florida and got beat by an unranked Gator team. Oregon, a 'National Brand" PAC-12 team went down to Georgia [lookin' for a soul to steal] and got beat worse than the Devil did by Johnny playing Fire on the Mountain. Outside of the Conference Champion, when conferences are looking at those #9, #10, #11 and #12 playoff spots what makes anyone think that a PAC-12 team is going to jump someone from the Big Ten or SEC for those spots?

Notre Dame? Yes. Or at least delay their joining as they play wait-and-see if new format maintains their fortunes.

Everyone else? Probably no effect.

There's only one answer to the question OP. 

Money is why USC and UCLA are joining the big ten 

No it only increases the odds of it happening because a loss even two might not hurt you

This is all just temporary.  The 2 super conferences are going to expand to about 48 programs in total, break off, and create their own playoff. 

Um.... that horse is already out of the barn.

I think it is unlikely, but if it did happen, it would be Texas switching to the B1G, where they would likely make more money, especially if ND joins, than in the SEC with easier access to the playoff. I don’t think it would happen, but that’s the one that would be most likely.

No, bigger conferences are inevitable. Everyone knew that playoff expansion was coming - just a question was exactly when and by how many teams.

No, Too much money to be made by too many vested parties and for once, this includes the players themselves. Now that there is a slice of the pie for them, a bigger pie should in theory help them.

No, The type of contracts and arrangements to set up make it unlikely some institution will back out. The Big Ten may add one or two more teams and that is it - they are nearly the max and are the first big coast to coast conference.

As more teams go to the Big 10 and SEC, I doubt they will want to continue the system with 6 auto bids and 6 at large. 

I think we will eventually just have the top 12 from the CFP standings, meaning the Big 10 and SEC will each get 4-5 and everyone else will get scraps 

The better question is how many times will the format be changed by 2026 as conference dissolve 

Sends a message to ND that byes go to highest seed CONFERENCE champions. If you want a chance at a bye, join a conference 

They’re making 9 figures a year to play in the B1G…hell no they don’t back out.

Unfortunately (and especially in the days of NIL), it's all about the money. USC isn't going to back out. Is the UC Board of Governors thing still an issue?

No. Conference realignment is all about one thing and one thing only: money. If maximizing a team's chances of making the CFP were in any way a factor in these realignment shenanigans, Texas and Oklahoma wouldn't have joined the SEC where they will have to compete against 3 or 4 other bluebloods.

I had this thought too, but the more I think about it, the more I lean that it won't change anything. Those schools will make more money in their new conferences and if they think they're good enough, they'll have solid shots at at-large bids. I also think that once the "super conferences" are established, the committee will drop from six conference champions to four (SEC, B1G, ACC, and B12/P12-whichever survives). Something I saw that I find interesting is that, based on the last few years' CFP rankings, there would be three-plus B1G and/or SEC teams in the playoff every season. We could easily see four or five teams from one conference in the playoff in a single year. So I don't see this being a problem for the teams that are moving.

TL;DR conferences could have a lot of teams in as at-large bids, so I don't think this'll be an issue.

My take, after expansion settles, B1G and SEC eventually split into 4 divisions each. Winner of each division automatically qualifies, and we have 4 at large bids. No other conferences are eligible because the B1G and SEC split from the NCAA.

Wait, so your take is somehow that automatic qualification is unfair?

That’s… I don’t even have words for that.  I mean, you’re right that the system isn’t fair, but you’re wrong about the reason.

The fair system — which will never happen — would include automatic qualification for each conference, like the NCAA basketball tournament.  At-large bids would ideally be computed formulaically, like is done in every sport except the NCAA basketball tournament and the CFP.  And scheduling would be centralized, so you couldn’t game the system by scheduling crappy games (see: Alabama, or, :sigh: this year’s Michigan).

What’s unfair is a system where you can win every game on your schedule and not win the championship.  (Unless you’re Scott Frost, and then you play nobody and claim a championship anyway.  Hey, it worked in ‘97…)

And, to answer your question: no, this doesn’t send UCLA or USC back to the Pac-12. I think the other answers have been pretty conclusive about why; it never had anything to do with playoff access.

It’s not about the playoffs, it’s about the $$$