A 24-team College Football Playoff has has been all but confirmed as starting as soon as next season, and there’s been no shortage of criticism for what feels like a largely unnecessary move.
TT Big Ten and SEC, the primary driving force behind the College Football Playoff expansion push, have more plans in the works for when the expansion is finally ratified, per Fox’s Joel Klatt.
“There are scheduling agreements that are in place once this thing expands officially,” Klatt told KTCK-FM 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas on Wednesday, per Football Scoop. “The next thing that will happen almost immediately is we’re going to get scheduling agreements between the SEC and the Big Ten; top-end matchups, mid-tier matchups, low-end matchups — and we’re going to be expanding the valuable matchups in the non-conference, far surpassing what we have now.”
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petititi guaranteed earlier this month that with playoff expansion the conference would commit to a minimum of 10 Power 4 games.
“We need to play more good games. I think we’ve been really clear about that. We think that the season can start way better than it does. We’re committed to that. If we get to a 24-team Playoff, you are going to see many more competitive games scheduled,” he said.
However, as many grand plans as the Big Ten and SEC may have in the works, there will undoubtedly also be plenty of unintended consequences, even for the sport’s two premier conferences, and ESPN’s Dan Wetzel has already predicted a massive one that may lead each to regret pushing for the expansion.
“Notre Dame now has the best situation in all of football – almost 100 percent guarantee to make the playoff, freedom to schedule as it wishes, maximization of its own media value,” he wrote on X.
“To use the Big Ten as an example, why wouldn’t Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State follow? If you can, be independent. That’s the future,” he continued. “The 18-team Big Ten is bloated, distant, and winning it carries little intrinsic or competitive value for the biggest brands.
“Those three schools can create a scheduling agreement that would increase their media revenue 2-3x and give the same control over everything. No sharing money. No forced TV times. Eight or even nine home games. Select your own schedule. Staying in the Big Ten now makes little and perhaps no economic sense.”
College football will change substantially once playoff expansion officially passes. Only time will tell exactly what all of that change looks like.
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