This morning it was revealed that EFL clubs are to vote on expanding the Championship play-offs from four teams to six.
While the change will come into effect from next season, it won’t immediately apply to SkyBet League One and Two.
Although clubs from the Football League’s bottom two divisions will still vote at the same time at the Annual General Meeting.
That meeting will take place on March 5 and will likely see the proposal approved as it seems to have widespread support from teams across the leagues.
It would see two extra teams given the chance to compete in the world’s richest game of football and promotion to the Premier League.
Winning that prize would see the side pocket £225 million, while League One and Two outfits would make just £12 million and £2 million respectively.
However, if you also include the extra revenue the sides would make from TV money within the play-offs, as well as the high demand of gate receipts, it’s easy to see why there is such high demand for the proposals.
What would change?
The new system would see the EFL brought further in line with the National League in the sense that there would be an extra round for the side’s placed fifth to eighth.
Although, the teams that finish third and fourth would still only compete in a semi-final and final.
That initial quarter-final would be a one-legged affair at the stadium of the team that placed higher in the table and would follow the traditional play-off structure.
In that, the fifth-placed team would face off against the side in eighth while sixth and seventh would also face off against each other.
The winners of those ties would then face off against the sides in third and fourth in the traditional play-off format.
However, the new system is understood to have some backlash from Premier League sides who believe that it would dilute the quality of the sides promoted to the top-tier.
Importantly, they don’t have a vote in any proposals that solely affect the EFL since it’s independence in 1992.
How does it benefit Lincoln City?
As it stands, it would seem that the proposals would benefit Lincoln City more if they were to be promoted than if they were to remain in the third-tier next season.
And while neither Michael Skubala or the board have commented on the situation yet, it doesn’t seem like they have a reason to vote against the change.
If the system was in place this season, the side would have a buffer of 18 points to those outside the play-offs rather than the 16 points that currently exists.
On top of that, if they were to miss out on automatic promotion but still finish in the top four, they would have the benefit of an extra games rest compared the four of their competitors.
It would have also seen them finish inside the play-offs in that 2023/24 season where they missed out on the last day to eventually finish seventh.