Illinois coach Bret Bielema makes emphatic case for 24-team College Football Playoff

Illinois coach Bret Bielema continues to be one of the strongest voices in favor of expanding the College Football Playoff.

While appearing on Pardon My Take on Friday, Bielema made an emphatic argument for growing the field to 24 teams. He believes the current landscape of college football has created more parity than ever before. 

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The veteran coach thinks NIL, revenue sharing and the transfer portal have made it possible for programs to rise quickly and compete with traditional powers. As a result, Bielema thinks more teams deserve a chance.

“I think 24,” Bielema said when asked how many teams should be included in the playoff. “Everybody wants to get their panties in a bunch about what’s going on. I think everybody has to understand, there is no time in college football, in my opinion, where the 16th team or the 18th team in the country could possibly win it all.

“You look at last year, Miami got in, really as the last seed, and they were in this national championship game. They could have won it, right? I just think, with NIL, with revenue sharing, with the transfer portal, teams can.”

Moreover, Bielema pointed to recent examples around the country as proof that programs can experience rapid turnarounds: “Look at Indiana, right?” Bielema continued. “Two years after a guy takes over, they win a national championship, walking away with it.”

Continuing, the Illinois head coach also pushed back on criticism that expanding the playoff would diminish the importance of the regular season. Instead, he believes a larger field would increase interest in games late in the year.

“I think the more you can include … the Illinois-Wisconsin game in Week 10, when maybe not everybody’s paying attention, but we both are at eight wins, we need to get to nine and to get to 10, that game is much more important now than ever before,” Bielema added.

“I think it would actually enhance the back half of the schedule and viewership and entertainment value than ever before.”

Alas, Bielema has been consistent in his support for expansion. Earlier this month, he told On3’s Pete Nakos and later explained on Chicago radio station 104.3 The Score that additional home playoff games would create even more incentive for teams to continue pushing for higher seeds.

The Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 have all publicly voiced support for a 24-team model, and Bielema serves on the board of the American Football Coaches Association, which has also backed expansion.

Meanwhile, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has pushed back on the idea, creating a divide between two of the sport’s most influential conferences.

Still, Bielema remains optimistic about the current state of college football: “This era of football that we’re in right now, college football, is at an unprecedented high,” Bielema said. “It’s really fun. “Everybody wants to find a reason to poo-poo it. I’m telling you, it’s at an unbelievable presence and awareness. It’s unbelievable.”

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.