Big 10
Another Shake Up
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Now that it’s been almost a month since the conclusion of the first ever 12-team college football playoff format, leaders of the two most powerful conferences are set to meet today in New Orleans, and those meetings could have a major effect on the product we watch over the next few years.
College football’s playoff system is about to get another shake-up, with serious talks of expanding to 14 or even 16 teams as early as 2026.
The Big Ten and SEC are leading the charge, pushing for automatic bids for their teams, and it looks like they’re going to get their way.
The most likely format would guarantee four spots each for the SEC and Big Ten, two each for the ACC and Big 12, and one for the highest-ranked Group of Five team. Notre Dame would also get a guaranteed spot—if it finishes in the top 14.
That means if the playoff stops at 14 teams, there might not be any extra at-large spots some years.
In this setup, the top two teams would get byes in a 14-team field, but if they go to 16 teams, nobody gets a bye—just straight into the action.
The selection committee would also take a backseat, with rankings deciding the seeds instead of a room full of administrators debating which 8-4 team is “better.”
One big change could be how conferences handle their schedules. The SEC has been debating whether to move to a nine-game conference schedule for years, and with automatic bids locked in, they might finally do it. The Big Ten already plays nine, and the ACC and Big 12 might follow.
There’s also talk of a scheduling agreement between the SEC and Big Ten, setting up big non-conference matchups like Georgia-Michigan, Texas-Ohio State, or LSU-Oregon every year. That would be great for fans, TV ratings, and—of course—revenue.
With automatic bids taking center stage, conference championship games could change or even lose some importance.
The SEC and Big Ten are looking at new ways to determine their four teams, like play-in games where, say, the third-best team plays the sixth best, and the fourth-best plays the fifth best, with the winners grabbing the last two playoff spots.
Meanwhile, the ACC and Big 12 aren’t thrilled about the SEC and Big Ten grabbing the biggest share of auto-bids.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips says the playoff should be “a true championship, not an invitational,” but let’s be real—the CFP has always been more of an invite system than a true playoff.
It is also important to consider the fact that ESPN is shelling out $1.3 billion a year for CFP broadcast rights starting in 2026, so they have a big say in all of this.
There are concerns that a playoff dominated by the SEC and Big Ten could push fans from other conferences away.
If the field expands to 14, there will be two extra first-round games in December, competing with the NFL.
A 16-team format would add four extra games, which could mean renegotiating TV deals to bring in even more money.
This playoff expansion is just part of a bigger power shift in college sports. The SEC and Big Ten have already secured more control over the CFP’s format and money, and they’re looking to take that influence even further.
Beyond football, these conferences—and others—are pushing for more control over things like the NCAA basketball tournament, which could also expand.
Everything is being driven by TV deals, revenue sharing with athletes, and the battle for financial dominance in college athletics.
Decisions are expected soon, but one thing’s for sure—change is coming. Whether the playoff grows to 14 or 16 teams, the SEC and Big Ten are making sure their teams are taken care of.
Conference championships might look different, scheduling could get a shake-up, and TV money will continue to drive the sport’s future.
At the end of the day, this is all about two things: more playoff spots for the biggest conferences and more money for everyone involved. Buckle up—college football’s postseason is about to get a whole new look.
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch August 4
ACC All Gone?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The SEC and Big Ten (right now) don’t want to expand and steal someone from the ACC or Pac-12, both commissioners Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti have stated that publicly.
The potential implosion of the ACC or Pac-12 might change that. If the Pac-12 collapses or big names like North Carolina, Florida State, Clemson and the like find a way out of the ACC Grant of Rights, the Big Ten and SEC would be concerned about the other scooping up another big market name, and that changes the dynamic.
Sankey has maintained that the SEC only added Texas/Oklahoma because the schools approached the conference and SEC would have been foolish to pass. (And yes, Notre Dame is the only obvious TV additive right now if you’re the SEC or Big Ten, sorry).
If I’m the ACC, increasing my value is top priority, therefore I wouldn’t fall far behind the Big Ten and the SEC, and keep it that way until at least the end of the decade. Smart conferences will already find new revenue streams in a new and ever-evolving market.
Would a smart conference stay in contact with the Pac-12? Would some sort of scheduling alliance or partnership be available? An eye on the Pac-12; if anyone follows Colorado out the door, it could lead to total collapse.
Already, Florida State, Clemson and others have made it clear that they believe they deserve more (money). Do they see themselves splitting the pie by another four slices? Is it evenly shared? Probably not. Could you do a tiered revenue split and add a western wing? I know things are never as simple as they sound on paper, but I’d explore any option to preserve the brightest future for the program.
Of course, there is always the possibility that someone challenges the ACC’s grant of rights and tries to exit the league. Florida State has a virtual board of trustees meeting soon.
The Seminoles would have to give notice of their withdrawal from the ACC by Aug. 15 in order to compete in a new league by fall 2024 (where would they go? How much is the exit fee?).
If the ACC breaks open, we’ll have a different conversation. The ACC could keep its current membership and become an aggressor in the media profit landscape if 1) they want a fight; and 2) they don’t open up an escape for FSU or Clemson or anyone to get out of the grant of rights.
The ACC corner of realignment is the most intriguing off-field action. The more I watch, the more questions surface. The result of this conflict will set the tone and trajectory for the future of a historically competitive conference.
Future of College Football Playoff
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re in year three of the College Football Playoffs and the four teams were announced to play for the National Title. I don’t have a problem with the teams that were picked but it made me stop and think about the selection process.
Some analysts point to Washington (12-1) and say a team with two loses like Penn State or Michigan is more deserving because they played a tougher non-conference schedule. I disagree but I think things should be more uniformed across college football to leave everyone with an equal playing field.
The first major change should require all Power 5 conferences to play an equal amount of conference games. For instance, the Pac 12, Big Ten and Big 12 all play nine conference games. Two leagues with fourteen members, the ACC and SEC play eight conference games. It was proposed two years ago that the SEC might add an additional conference game and it was overwhelmingly shot down.
“This has been a thoughtful and deliberative process that has resulted in maintaining the current format and adds a provision that will bolster our collective annual non-conference schedule,” SEC commissioner Mike Slive said. “Critical to maintaining this format is the non-conference opponent factor which gives us the added strength-of-schedule we were seeking while allowing continued scheduling flexibility for institutional preferences, and acknowledges that many of our institutions already play these opponents.”
That’s a very interesting comment because what actually happens is a lot of teams backload their schedule with a cupcake opponent. Half of the league did that in the second to last week of the season. Several played FCS opponents: Alabama played Chattanooga, Auburn played Alabama A&M, South Carolina played Western Carolina and Kentucky played Austin Peay. Some played weak FBS opponents, for instance Georgia played Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas A&M played Texas-San Antonio. These are all basically glorified scrimmages before the season finale.
I also think since there are only four playoff spots we should rethink having five major conferences since they don’t all play by the same rules. I think the Big 12 should not be considered a Power conference anymore. They are the only conference that does not play a conference championship game since the league has had less than the required twelve teams after the 2010 season.
I think they enjoy not having to play the conference championship game for a couple of reasons. The first thing is since they only have ten teams they divide revenue amongst those universities. If they add members that will decrease the amount of money each school receives.
It’s also easier for a team to play one less game and stay in the hunt for a national championship. They have had a few teams in contention for the national title until they lost the Big 12 championship. In 1996 No. 3 Nebraska (10-1) lost to Texas. In 1998 No. 2 Kansas State (11-0) lost to Texas A&M and in 2003 No. 1 Oklahoma (12-0) got blown out by Kansas State.
I think they have been taking the easy way out by not expanding and they should be punished for that. Maybe the American Athletic Conference should become a Power 5 conference to replace them.
