Big Ten Power Moves the Goalposts

In a major scoop that could reshape the postseason landscape, the Big Ten has submitted a bold proposal to expand the College Football Playoff (CFP) to 24 or even 28 teams—a huge leap from the current 12-team format College Football News+15Reuters+15Eleven Warriors+15.

Here’s what you need to know—and quickly, because the CFP future might just be shifting under our cleats:

What’s on the Table?

According to multiple sources and ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the proposed 28-team model would:

• Eliminate conference championship games entirely.

• Distribute auto bids as follows:

  • 7 each to the Big Ten and SEC

  • 5 each to the ACC and Big 12

  • 2 to non-Power Five conferences

  • 2 at-large bids

All teams would still be seeded by the CFP committee. The plan effectively turns college football’s playoff into a mini-tournament spanning several weeks—nearly 20 on-campus games in total College Sports Network+8Reuters+8New York Post+8Yahoo Sports+8Eleven Warriors+8CBSSports.com+8Sports Business Journal.

Why It Matters

1. Unprecedented Scope

• Expanding to 24 or 28 teams would dramatically increase exposure, revenue, and opportunities for programs previously on the margins.

2. Shortened Offseason

• If conference games are replaced with play-in rounds, fans could see meaningful postseason action starting as early as early December ESPN.com+12CBSSports.com+12AOL+12.

3. Power Play Dynamics

• The Big Ten and SEC would cement their dominance, while the ACC, Big 12, and Group of Five face marginalization—a growing source of contention Statesman+14College Sports Network+14Yahoo Sports+14.

What Could Happen Next

What Fans & Analysts Are Saying

• Pro Expansion Voices: At the SEC Media Days, Missouri coach *Eli Drinkwitz suggested even larger playoff fields—30 teams, eight each from Big Ten and SEC Awful Announcing+15Statesman+15CBSSports.com+15.

• Critical Voices: Analysts argue it undermines the spirit of the sport. Critics worry it shifts the game from championship competition to revenue-maximizing spectacle Houston Chronicle.

• Strategic Tension: SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has already expressed resistance to the Big Ten’s auto-bid dominance, indicating a growing ideological rift Sports Business Journal+4ESPN.com+4Reuters+4.

Final Play Call

The Big Ten’s expanded playoff idea is more than just a format tweak—it’s an offensive strategy to control college football’s future. If pushed through, it could dismantle traditions, shift power, and redefine what it means to "make the playoff."

For now, it’s just talk—but it’s big, bold, and built to last.