The CFP Era · 2014–present

Kent State

Twelve seasons in three acts · Mid-American

40–98Record
29.0%Win %
0National titles
2019Peak season
13Avg. percentile

The three-act trajectory

Within-season power percentile against the FBS cohort, season by season.

FOUNDINGTRANSITIONEXPANSION0255075100141516171819202122232425Peak of the era2019 · 7–6
Source CFB Zeitgeist · power ratings
Founding2014–2020

The four-team Playoff era. The bracket is small, the margin for error none.

22–54 · avg percentile 15
Transition2021–2023

The last seasons before expansion — NIL arrives, the portal opens, the four-team format ends.

13–25 · avg percentile 14
Expansion2024–present

The twelve-team Playoff. A wider field changes what a season has to prove.

5–19 · avg percentile 2

Defining games

Coaches of the era

Paul Haynes2014–2017
Sean Lewis2020–2022
Kenni Burns2023–2024
Mark Carney2025–2025

Entering Year 13

The 2026 season opens the next chapter of the expansion era under Mark Carney. See the 2014–2025 program page →