The 11 conference commissioners, Notre Dame’s AD, BCS officials and a bunch of television people will meet in South Florida this week and, presumably, hammer out the details of the next phase of college football’s postseason future. Under discussion will be the “four-team event” or, for those who prefer precise, meaningful language, the sport’s first Division I-A Playoff. Here’s an overview of what they’ll be deciding.

How the Playoff Will Work? We won’t treat the Rose Bowl plan as a serious alternative. The unseeded plus one after the bowls is more plausible, though merely delays rather than solves problems. The basic decisions will be whether the semifinals are bowl games or at neutral sites and whether it will be composed of the top four teams or conference champions.

How Will the Rest of the Bowl Games Work? The big wigs must decide if there will be a second-tier system of bowls outside the playoff, which bowls will be included and whether AQ status and two-team conference limits will be done away with. A major issue to be resolved will be how the Rose Bowl fits into it. They must also resolve how many bowl games there will be and whether the bowl standard will be raised to seven wins.

What Becomes of Notre Dame? The present BCS system is kind to Notre Dame. They get a $1.3 million payout every year and $5.8 million for reaching a BCS game. Any time they reach 10 wins they can be virtually guaranteed a Top 14 BCS finish and an at large bid. Under the new playoff, it will be far harder for Notre Dame to crack the top four. The Irish are not as “relevant” as they were when the BCS was formed. Though, they still have a direct seat at the table. Could they be forced into a conference?

[Photo via Getty]

Previously: A Sensible College Football Playoff Plan Version 2.0