NEW YORK -- For the second time in four months, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suggested that the league's competition committee will strongly consider expanding the playoff field.
Speaking at Friday's Super Bowl XLVIII news conference, Goodell said there are "a lot of benefits" to adding one team per conference, expanding the playoff field to 14 rather than 12.
"We think we can make the league more competitive, we think we can make the matchups more competitive towards the end of the season," Goodell said. "There'll be more excitement, more memorable moments for our fans. And that's something that attracts us, and we think we can do it properly from a competitive standpoint."
Goodell appears to be in favor of the idea, adding that it will "continue to get very serious consideration" from NFL owners.
The commissioner stated in October that scheduling issues would prevent the playoff field from expanding before the 2015 season.
The NFL's willingness to embrace change in pursuit of increased excitement and fan satisfaction separates it from other major American sports leagues. If the expanded playoff is adopted, it will be under scrutiny for further changes down the line.
As Goodell told NFL Media's Rich Eisen, that sense of competitive evolution makes the NFL "unique."
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