Big Ten Reportedly Proposing 24- or 28-Team College Football Playoff Format

An essential two-team College Football Playoff was exclusive. Making it four teams in 2014 added some flavor. Giving out 12 playoff berths in 2024 made it exciting. How about getting wild and having a 28-team CFP?

Well, that’s what the Big Ten has in mind. Conference commissioner Tony Petitti has formed proposals that would expand the CFP to 24, if not 28, teams, ESPN reported. 

The format proposal would eliminate conference championship games, while granting the Big Ten and the SEC seven automatic playoff bids apiece, with the ACC and Big 12 each getting five automatic bids. There would also be two automatic bids for non-power-conference schools and two other at-large teams. In all, there would be 20 CFP games on college campuses.

Last season, college football debuted the 12-team CFP, which granted four conference title winners an automatic first-round bye and had four first-round playoff games played on college campuses. Neutral-site matchups began in the quarterfinal round. The Big Ten led the way with four teams in the CFP, followed by the SEC with three.

[MORE: How 2024-25 CFP Would’ve Looked Under Proposed Expansion Formats]

As for the 2025 season, the 12-team CFP format remains intact but with some tweaks, such as the top four overall ranked teams receiving a first-round bye as opposed to the top-four ranked conference champions receiving a bye (e.g. independent Notre Dame can get a first-round bye, whereas it previously couldn’t because it’s not part of a power-four conference). While still being one of the top-five ranked conference champions ensures a playoff berth, it no longer locks in a first-round bye for the top-four ranked conference winners.

In the wake of each of the four teams that received first-round byes in last year’s CFP losing in the quarterfinal round (Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Clemson), there has been rampant speculation throughout this offseason about altering the format again; a potential 16-team format has been a topic of discussion.

Last season, Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in the national championship tilt; both teams were at-large bids.

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