Report: SEC, Big Ten pushing for their champions to get 2 automatic byes in 14-team CFP
As conference leaders continue to try and hammer out a new plan for the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025-26 season, a new potential wrinkle has emerged. In a proposed 14-team CFP model, only the champions of the SEC and Big Ten would be eligible for the two byes in the postseason tournament, according to Yahoo Sports Ross Dellenger.
In recent weeks, the Big Ten and SEC reportedly began working together in examining the future of college football and athletics. So far, the resulting moves, particularly with respect to the College Football Playoff, have signaled an intent for the leagues to elevate themselves further above the other Power 5 (soon four) leagues.
To wit, it’s been proposed that in a 14-team CFP model, the Big Ten and SEC would each get three automatic bids, while the Big 12 and ACC would get two each. Additionally, an auto bid would be given to the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion before three at-large teams to round out the field. The deal would also guarantee a spot to Notre Dame if the Irish finish ranked in the Top 14.
A move to make the champions of the respective two leagues — in most years perceived as two of, if not the top two teams in the sport — effectively a permanent No. 1 and No. 2 seed would be another level of hegemony.
There’s also an urgency to get a playoff deal done for beyond the 2025-26 playoff, as currently college football has no postseason mechanism to crown a champion without the playoff. A new deal, and subsequent TV deal, likely need to be sorted out in the coming months, putting the pressure on all involved to find an acceptable compromise.
And as college and conference administrators keep pushing forward to make a new CFP beyond the remaining two years on the contract, it seems clear one thing will be constant: The Big Ten and SEC pushing for ever-bigger portions of the pie.
Expansion might not stop at 14 teams
News surfaced Wednesday that a proposal to expand the College Football Playoff to 14 teams is gaining steam, but it’s not the only option on the table when it comes to potential expansion.
There exists a possibility that the sport’s power brokers could also explore a 16-team playoff field, in part as a way of opening up more automatic qualification spots in the playoff.
For now, though, the 14-team model is the one with the most thrust behind it.
“My sense in speaking with sources is that 14 is the most favorable option because, again, we’re also talking about a parallel conversation with the TV contract here,” ESPN’s Heather Dinich said on the Paul Finebaum Show. “Some of this is, quite frankly, above my pay grade, so I don’t want to speak on behalf of ESPN or TV executives by any means. But at some point you’ve got to stop paying money. There’s a price on the table.”
Dinich is something of an expert covering College Football Playoff matters, having done it for the Worldwide Leader for the past decade or so.
She outlined the primary factor when it comes to weighing an increase in the size of the playoff field.
“Can 14 teams without any increase in price satisfy everyone’s needs who are at the table?” Dinich asked. “Whereas if it were to go to 16 teams at some point, are there diminishing returns? Is there advertising? Does ESPN want to pay more than $1.3 billion for this? My guess is probably not. But again, I think that you can’t untangle those two conversations as to the number of teams and the actual TV contract that’s on the table currently.”