The recent settlement in the House v. NCAA case is already stirring up a slew of what-ifs during this week’s SEC spring meetings. However, as athletic directors and coaches discuss the potential impacts revenue sharing will have on college athletics, college football is undergoing a significant change itself this fall.

This year will mark the first season of the extended College Football Playoff, which will triple in size to 12 teams. More teams equal more games, as the road to a national title will now feature a few extra stops.

The new playoff format will include the five highest-ranked conference champions as well as the next seven highest-ranked teams. The top four conference champions will earn a first-round bye, while the other eight teams will play in the first round, with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds. The winners of the first-round games will then move on to face the top-four teams at neutral sites in the quarterfinals. The semifinals will also be held at bowl destinations with the winners moving on to the national championship game.

A team could now conceivably play in 17 total games if it reached its conference championship matchup and still worked its way from the first round of the playoff to the title game. Previously the max number of games a team could play was 15 — a full 12-game regular season slate, followed by a conference championship game, and two College Football Playoff matchups.

So will the extended seasons change the way head coaches prepare for the fall? Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said it’s something he’s certainly conscious of as his team enters summer workouts this week.

One step DeBoer is taking this fall is moving the Crimson Tide’s practices to the morning to cut down on the heat his players will endure during workouts. He and his staff are also paying closer attention to the amount of hits and contact players are undergoing in order to avoid wear and tear throughout the year.

Still, there is a balance.

Even at its expanded state, making the playoff requires a fair share of preparation. And being fresh come December is of little use if your team is left watching the postseason from the couch.

“You want to be playing your best ball at the end of the year,” DeBoer told reporters Tuesday. “You want to be fresh, both mentally and physically. There’s a fine line because you have to be prepared for those games throughout the season which takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of time.

“So from the summer workouts through the fall camp, tying that into school and everything they have on their plate — that’s a lot. We want to make sure that we’re always conscious and communicating with our team to adjust to what’s needed to make sure we’re playing our best ball come the end of the season.”

Despite the incoming gauntlet of games, Alabama players haven’t shied away from work this offseason.

Offensive linemen Tyler Booker, Wilkin Formby and Kadyn Proctor traveled down to Texas to participate in the OL Masterminds training program. Meanwhile, quarterback Jalen Milroe led a group of offensive skill players on a trip to Florida to train at House of Athlete. Those are just two examples of the hunger DeBoer has noticed in his players over the past few weeks.

“I’m on a thread this morning, guys wanting to get together, some of our leadership group, to make sure that the mindset’s in the right place,” DeBoer said. “That’s what it’s all about is having a player-lead team that can lead themselves, lead the rest of the guys around them and wanting to do something special together.”

As for the source of that hunger, DeBoer said he isn’t sure if it stems from his players trying to reward their believers or prove their doubters wrong. Either way, he’ll take it.

"It certainly applies to the LANK [Let All Naysayers Know] mentality that they have," DeBoer said. "I'm excited to see what this summer brings about as far as their progression and building on what we did this spring."

One thing is sure when it comes to the extended playoff — Alabama won’t be taking anything for granted. While the new format leaves more room for error in the win-loss column, DeBoer said his team plans to enter every game with a must-win mindset.

“You want to be the highest seed that you possibly can, and so every single game to me is very important,” he said Monday. “It isn’t just about making the playoffs, it’s about winning in the playoffs and winning a championship. Everything that goes into that matters when it comes to each and every game.

“I don’t like to think that you have a little wiggle room because more teams are in the playoffs. I don’t want us thinking that way. I want us thinking about every game, the significance of it and how important it is to us landing in a great spot and getting a potential first-round bye in the playoffs. That’s what we’ll be attacking and what we’ll be working for.”

UGA Sports' Anthony Dasher contributed to this report.