CFP expansion under study

The Big Ten explores a large CFP expansion that would remove conference championship games and add many automatic bids.

Big Ten Pushes a 24 to 28 Team CFP Expansion

The Big Ten has discussed expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 or 28 teams, a move that would also drop conference championship games. The plan is still in the very early stages, but leaked details show seven automatic bids for the Big Ten and SEC in the 28-team format, five for the ACC and Big 12, and two automatic bids for Group of Five teams plus two at-large bids. The CFP would seed the field and decide hosting for first-round games, potentially moving some matchups to home stadiums.

In the 28-team model, playoff games on campuses would rise from four to as many as 20. The Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has shared the two larger models with the conference and began circulating them to other leagues. Other conferences are backing different approaches for a 16-team playoff, underscoring the lack of consensus on how to balance tradition with revenue and competition.

Editor’s note: the debate is as much about money as it is about the game. A bigger playoff could broaden markets and TV rights, but it would also complicate schedules, travel, and the status of the regular season. The idea risks diluting conference crowns and turning the chase for a title into a longer, less climactic affair. If the field grows, who benefits and who bears the costs will matter as much as the format itself.

The divergence among conferences highlights a broader tension inside college sports. The push for a massive playoff reflects a business model built on volume and exposure, not just prestige. The path to agreement depends on reconciling calendars, player welfare, and public sentiment with a shared sense of fairness and tradition.

Highlights

The next phase will test how much fans value tradition against the lure of bigger TV audiences.