Clock ticking on expanded CFP field, Kirby Smart, Mark Richt have voiced support
College Football Playoff expansion could be on hold barring a last-minute agreement between SEC and Big Ten leadership.
If no agreement is reached by Friday, the CFP field will remain at 12 for next season.
CFP leaders met leading up to the CFP championship game Monday and left without a resolution that would lead to the current 12-team field expanding to 16 teams next season.
The SEC and Big Ten were granted the bulk of control of the format in 2024 via a memorandum of understanding signed by the 10 FBS commissioners.
ESPN extended the deadline from Dec. 1 to Friday for SEC and Big Ten leadership to decide on a format that could be put in place for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart and former Georgia and Miami coach Mark Richt have voiced support for an expanded playoff in the interest of providing more programs the opportunity to compete for the championship and adding life to a flailing bowl system.
“I’m probably like most people in the majority, to be able to expand the playoffs, if it’s done the right way, in terms of giving more teams the opportunity,” Smart said in August.
“People are not excited about midtier bowl games,” Smart said. “I think those bowl games are great experiences. I played in them, (and) I’ve coached in them.
“… That’s an opportunity, but the more teams you give an opportunity to decide things on the field, like you do, whether it’s college basketball, high school football, old (Division) I-AA football … you’re going to get things decided on the grass. So, yeah, I’d be for that.”
Richt, now an analyst for ACC Network, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week he also has advocated for more teams in the CFP field.
“I have thought 16 makes sense from the very beginning; it made more sense than 12 to me,” Richt said. “I’ve been an advocate of 32 teams for years, and I think the next step might be that, to go from 24 to 32.
“My goal was to revive the bowl games through those games because it makes those games more valuable.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has made it clear he has interest in expanding the playoff, as has Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti.
The Big Ten, however, has made its desire for a 24-team playoff well known, and multiple reports — including sources cited by On3 and ESPN — indicated the Big Ten won’t sign off on an expansion to 16 teams unless a contingency is in place for the playoffs to expand to 24 teams as early as 2028.
The Big Ten, a TV partner of Fox, has an obvious interest in creating a greater volume of games, as that would provide its media partner more inventory.
The SEC, with its own vested interests, including maintaining the SEC championship game, has clearly not agreed to a 24-team field contingency.
Some opponents of expansion think that the urgent nature of the college football regular season could be compromised if the field grows too large.
About the Author
Mike is in his 10th season covering SEC and Georgia athletics for AJC-DawgNation and has 25 years of CFB experience. Mike is a Heisman Trophy voter and former Football Writers President who was named the National FWAA Beat Writer of the Year in January, 2018.
