Ross Bjork gives his stance on the future of conference championship games: 'I think it depends'

The future of conference championship games has been a hotly-debated topic since the College Football Playoff moved to 12 teams. Arguments over whether playing, and losing, in a conference title game and its playoff implications have fans and coaches divided on what the best route is moving forward.

For Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork, the solution may not be rooted in a 12-team playoff. Talks of CFP expansion have dominated the offseason, and whether college football’s leaders land on a 14 or 16-team playoff may shape his perspective.

“I think it depends,” Bjork said. “I mean, it (the Big Ten Championship) provides a tremendous amount of value. But if you’re doing (automatic qualifier) spots with play-in games, could there be a different model, right? So i think that’s that’s a conversation that has to continue.”

Two models in particular that have been discussed are the 4-4-2-2-1 and 5+11 models. The first refers to the amount of automatic qualifiers a conference would receive: SEC (4), Big Ten (4), ACC (2), Big 12 (2), G6 (1). Meanwhile, the 5+11 model refers to having the five highest-ranked conference champions, as well as 11 at-large bids.

What can’t seem to be agreed upon are how many AQs are allotted per conference. The ACC and Big 12 have advocated for more representation in the 4-4-2-2-1. Meanwhile, the SEC and Big Ten likely feel justified in their request for double compared to their Power Four counterparts. Bjork offered his own solution to this issue.

“Can we create play-in games that equate to automatic qualifiers? I think that’s a really good model,” Bjork said. “The other thing, too, is there’s a lot of debate around the committee, and what kind of metrics they have. If you have automatic qualifying spots with play-in games, then you have more content and eliminate a lot of the committee dynamics that may get in the way.”

For the 2025 season, being a top-five ranked conference champion will be the only automatic qualifier to the CFP. As arguments over AQs hold up a final decision, only time will tell what the final solution will entail.

Regardless of the model, Bjork believes Ohio State will continue to be in a position to compete for championships. He praised Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day for the job that he’s accomplished so far in Columbus, which culminated with a College Football Playoff championship under his leadership last season.