How a 24-team playoff could change college football originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Last August, the Big 10 proposed an expanded College Football Playoff that would add 12–14 teams. At first, no one took it seriously; now it could drastically change the college football format as we know it.
The proposal suggests eliminating conference championship games, awarding 19 at-large bids, and giving the highest-ranked Group of 6 team 1 bid. First-round games would be played on the campus of the higher-seeded team.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petti suggested the idea to the conference’s ADs. Under this proposal, 20 playoff games would be played on campus. Before commissioner Petty’s proposal, there was talk of a 16-team playoff. In a nutshell, with this 24-team format, the weekend that broadcasts conference championship games would start the playoffs.
Seeds 1–8 would have a bye, and seeds 9-24 would compete in the first round.
In the 2024-2025 season, the CFP debuted its 12-team playoff format, with the four Power Four conference teams getting first-round bye weeks. This season, the format will change, with the top four ranked teams receiving a first-round bye.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey expressed an "openness" to the expansion. “Attitudes change over time and perspectives change. So, we’ll see where that leads us from a final decision standpoint," Sankey said.
“We’ve worked through and continue to consider and work through those issues.” Expanding the playoffs would “mean ending the SEC Championship game.”
With an already extended 4- to 12-team playoff, how exactly will this many more teams help college football? To be fair, the 12-team playoff was entertaining to watch; however, adding more teams will take away from the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) aspect.
Eliminating conference championship games would reduce each conference's importance and competitiveness. Regular season games would be pointless. A team could lose 3–4 games and still have a resume to qualify for the CFP.
For non-Power Four conferences, the season would essentially be played as a bowl game. Imagine a 10-2 JMU team that can play in a bowl game but can't earn bragging rights as Conference champions. Something no one asked for.
Adding more teams to the CFP eliminates teams eligible to play in bowl games. And when a team still isn't good enough for a bid, they can decline the invitation to play. Wink wink Notre Dame.
Power Four schools would still be favored for more playoff spots and given more margin for error, while slamming the door even harder on most Group of Six programs.
No specifics have been disclosed yet. The College Football Playoff is set to expand in 2027.
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