COLUMBUS, OHIO – APRIL 15: Quarterback Kyle McCord #6 of the Ohio State Buckeyes drops back to pass during the Spring Game at Ohio Stadium on April 15, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)
The college football playoff format is in for a long fight. The Big Ten still disagrees with the SEC, Big 12 and ACC about the format of the playoffs moving forward. In reality the Big Ten and the SEC hold all the decision making power. But as Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti restated at his annual State of the Conference address at Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday, any future playoff must include four automatic qualifiers from the Big Ten. He wants things set up where the CFP selection committee has as little power and decision making ability as possible. Any decision would presumably involve an expanded field of 16 teams.
Petitti also wants conference championship weekend to evolve into play-in rounds where his league's third place team plays his 6th place team and his the 4th place team faces the 5th place team to fight for two of the 4 automatic qualifying spots. He feels this will make more conference games matter in the month of November if half the league is still alive for a playoff spot.
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All of this is well and good but the other three Power 4 conferences want to have 11 at large spots filled by the selection committee and no automatic qualifiers. That's a much different college football playoff format than the Big Ten is seeking. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey says a decision on a new college football format for 2026 and beyond must be settled by December 1st. As of the end of July we are nowhere close to an agreement.
In the meantime we are a month away from an exiting 2025 college football season. And this year's college football playoff format is all set with 12 teams.
For more college football talk and analysis tune in each weekday to Craig Shemon and Company from 2-6pm on ESPN Southwest Florida.
