Report: Multiple Big 12, ACC coaches voice concerns about Big Ten, SEC automatic bids in CFP proposals
Earlier this week, news broke of a 14-team proposal for the College Football Playoff that would give multiple automatic bids to the Power Conferences – the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. Another report from Yahoo! Sports then said the Big Ten and SEC were pushing for multiple automatic byes in a 14-team format, and coaches are voicing concerns about that idea.
ESPN’s Dave Wilson spoke with coaches in both the Big 12 and the ACC who are pushing back against multiple auto-bids for the Big Ten and SEC. Those two conferences are widely viewed as being at the top of college football with the most notable brands and lucrative media rights deals, and the sense is they’re trying to get more access to the CFP as a result.
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes offered an interesting comparison when explaining why he disagrees with that proposal.
“Automatic first-round byes for the Big Ten and SEC is like the NFL saying the Cowboys get a first-round bye since they have more fans than the Bengals,” Dykes told ESPN. “How preposterous is that?”
Of course, any changes to the CFP wouldn’t come until 2026. The field is currently gearing up to expand to 12 teams under a 5+7 model – the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large bids. The four highest-ranked teams will all get byes.
Under the Big Ten and SEC’s idea, though, teams in their leagues would automatically receive two byes in the 14-team field. Giving those teams advantages is something Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said is “unheard of in any sport.”
“A playoff format that guarantees a first-round bye to any team, division or conference before the season starts is unheard of in any sport as far as I’m aware,” Gundy said. “Based on the premise proposed, a team could be undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country and still not receive a first-round bye because teams were awarded one before the season even began.”
Gundy also made it clear where he stands on which teams deserve to make the College Football Playoff.
“We need to let the teams decide it on the field and reward those who are most deserving,” Gundy said.
North Carolina’s Mack Brown: ‘It’s hard to be a champion’
When looking at the 12-team model, the four highest-ranked conference champions will receive byes through the first round of the new-look format. That’s something North Carolina head coach Mack Brown told ESPN he can get behind.
After that, though, he argued it shouldn’t just be handed to certain teams in certain leagues.
“I feel the four conference champs should be treated equally and all should have a first-round bye,” Brown said. “It’s hard to be a champion, so it does matter.”
NC State head coach Dave Doeren echoed a similar sentiment, arguing the talking points used to put the rankings together – including metrics and strength of schedule – should be part of the conversation rather than conference affiliation.
“The champions from each of those four deserve to be in, and I agree with that. … After the four champions, then let those teams that have earned that over the course of their season with strength of schedule, their ranking, quality wins and all that be what matters,” Doeren said.
The 14-team proposals are not final, and there’s still plenty left to decide when it comes to the future of the CFP. Still, the conversation is starting about what that might look like.