What Happened in NASCAR’s Latest Playoff Committee Meeting?

What’s Happening?

NASCAR Insider Jeff Gluck, a member of NASCAR’s Playoff Committee, revealed some key details from the latest NASCAR Playoff Committee Meeting during a recent episode of The Teardown, addressing many questions from fans, including the role NASCAR’s TV partners play in the decision.

To help the sport overcome growing disdain for its playoff system, NASCAR assembled a group of industry members, including retired drivers, current drivers, track owners, and media members, to discuss the current playoff format and suggest potential changes.

Though the committee will not make the final decision, NASCAR is utilizing the members’ knowledge, experience, and opinion as a brain trust and sounding board to bounce ideas off.

This week, the committee had what very well could be its final meeting, and on the latest episode of The Teardown, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck shared some key takeaways from this meeting.

More Support For 36 Race System

Gluck opened by expressing perhaps the most shocking note of all, that being that there are apparantly more members of the committee switching their opinion in support of the 36 race, or full season points system used by NASCAR for a majority of it’s history until 2004.

Though Hall of Famer Mark Martin has been the voice for those in support of the system both in the committee and online, Gluck professes that “numerous people, maybe half a dozen,” have spoken in favor of the full-season points system. The change in tune from these committee members seemed to shock Gluck.

If this is the case, it suggests that even though the sport has seemingly pushed aside the full-season points system, now, there is a growing campaign to return to the system both in the fan base and industry.

Of course, Gluck still labels a return unlikely, citing the support causal fans have for the current playoff system (or even some form of playoff) and the benefits track owners have seen from hosting playoff races.

Networks Give NASCAR the Lead on This Decision

In another surprising twist, Gluck also claimed that the TV Networks, which many have deemed responsible for the playoff format, are taking a step back from the decision.

Though the networks had seen the blame for the current system lobbed at them in the past by those opposed to the playoffs, this year it took another step, after figures, including Gluck and Mark Martin (on multiple occasions), suggested that the Networks will have a major say in the final decision.

Even on the July 30 episode of NASCAR’s Hauler Talk podcast, NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Communications Mike Forde claimed that NASCAR was going to have a one-on-one meeting with the network partners, NBC in particular, following a then-recent committee meeting.

Now, Gluck claims that the networks have given the proverbial reins to NASCAR, saying that during this meeting, the networks, perhaps weary of pushback from fans regarding their potential involvement in the decision, want NASCAR to make the final call on a championship format.

“I’m guessing, [TV] probably caught wind of the conversation and didn’t like themselves being in that conversation, didn’t like hearing that people are saying, ‘Well, TV wants this, TV wants this, this is going to be this way because of TV.'” — Jeff Gluck

This information notably comes one week after NBC Sports analyst Jeff Burton claimed that TV did not have a role in the decision on playoff format, with that portion of the fan base, once again, pushing back at Burton’s comments.

More 3-3-4 Format Talk

Of course, to no surprise, Gluck confirmed that there was talk of tweaks to the current format, including eliminating the playoff (aka bonus) points, and assigning a point total based on final season standing, but maintaining the ‘Win and In’ system of the playoff.

During this meeting, the ‘3-3-4’ playoff format, which would see two rounds of three races and a final round of four, with five drivers eliminated in the first and second rounds, and six drivers making the final round, was discussed. Prior to a few weeks ago, this format was little known to fans, that was until Gluck’s Teardown co-host Jordan Bianchi proposed it as a “hypothetical” system on an episode of Door Bumper Clear.

This system would maintain the uncertainty and surprise of the playoff format, including eliminations and advancement, while giving a larger sample size to crown a champion, something both fans and drivers have asked for.

Gluck says this system was “certainly” a topic of conversation during the meeting. However, he went on to clarify that NASCAR has a lot to consider before finalizing one system, such as the tweaks mentioned above.

Was This the Last Playoff Committee Meeting?

At the end of this discussion, Gluck notably said that he thinks this is the final meeting that the committee will have. If this is the case, the final decision is officially in the hands of NASCAR, but that doesn’t mean you should expect a change anytime soon.

While there has been talk that NASCAR could hold off on a decision until the 2027 season, Gluck suggests that a final decision for 2026 would likely come after the 2025 playoffs, saying “I think there was a strong feeling that if they announce something before [the 2025 season finale], then it would totally overshadow and ruin whoever wins the championship this year.”

Nonetheless, if NASCAR makes a change to the current format, it will mark the third major shift in the points system since the introduction of a postseason, then called the Chase, in 2004. When the time comes, NASCAR needs to make the right call, as having these same discussions ten or even five years down the road, for now a fourth time, would show that all the work put into this discussion throughout the past year was for nothing.

For rumors, news, and background information on NASCAR’s 2025 review of its playoff format, including details on committee meetings, make sure to check out the article linked below.

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