‘Cannibalism’ makes 24-team CFP field feasible for SEC; ACC also would benefit

ATHENS — College football is set for a third year of a 12-team playoff field, but a 24-team field could be coming sooner than later if a Big Ten proposal gains traction.

The SEC and Big Ten have held dominant decision-making power over the CFP format since a 2024 memorandum of understanding was signed by the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame.

SEC and Big Ten leadership, however, have not been able to come to an agreement on how to move forward with expanding the current model, leaving the field at 12.

The Big Ten, per an ESPN report last week, is circulating a proposal outlining what a 24-team football playoff format would look like.

According to the report, the document calls for eliminating league championship games, and the top 23 teams — as determined by the CFP selection committee — would be granted spots, along with a spot for the top Group of 6 school.

Further, ESPN’s sources indicated that under the new proposal:

• The playoffs would, in an “optimal window,” begin on the second weekend of December.

• Quarterfinals would remain at bowl sites on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

• Semifinals would take place the following week at bowl sites.

• The championship game would be played in mid-January at a neutral site.

The CFP selection committee would avoid first-round rematches between teams that played one another in the regular season.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said that if a 24-team playoff were “done the right way” he could get behind it.

“I’m probably like most people in the majority to be able to expand the playoffs, if it’s done the right way,” Smart said in August, “in terms of giving more teams the opportunity.”

With the SEC moving to a nine-game conference schedule next season, SEC Network analyst Chris Doering explained why a 24-team playoff might be a good thing for the league.

“We’re involved in cannibalism here in the SEC‚” Doering said. “The top portion of the Big Ten is really good, but the depth of talent is not there like it is in the SEC, and it’s only gonna get worse for the SEC as we move to a nine-game conference-only schedule starting in 2026.”

Doering pointed out that a deeper field would allow for more three-loss, or potentially four-loss, SEC teams qualifying for the postseason with a 24-team playoff.

Indeed, with a new “playoff or bust” culture in the SEC, as cited by South Carolina coach Shane Beamer last season and evidenced by six head coach changes among the 16 SEC schools (38%) and 32 among the 136 FBS schools (24%), the concept of a 24-team field has interest from leadership looking for continuity and hoping to avoid expensive coaching-buyout costs.

“I actually think it would be better for the SEC,” Doering said of his support for a 24-team field. “With the Big Ten, maybe you get six teams in. … I think you could make an argument that the SEC, in that type of field, gets eight, nine, maybe 10 teams in because of how deep the talent goes in this league that all are capable of winning a game or two (in the playoffs).”

The SEC had five teams make the 12-team CFP field last season playing an eight-game conference schedule.

Here is the conference breakdown of teams that would have made the playoffs last season under the proposed 24-team field being circulated by the Big Ten utilizing the CFP rankings before conference championship games were played (with CFP rankings entering championship game weekend; teams in bold made last year’s 12-team field):

Big Ten (6)

1. Ohio State

2. Indiana

5. Oregon

16. Southern Cal

19. Michigan

23. Iowa

SEC (7)

3. Georgia (SEC)

6. Ole Miss (SEC)

7. Texas A&M (SEC)

8. Oklahoma (SEC)

9. Alabama (SEC)

13. Texas (SEC)

14. Vanderbilt (SEC)

Big 12 (5)

4. Texas Tech

11. BYU

15. Utah

18. Arizona

21. Houston

Independent (1)

10. Notre Dame (Independent)

ACC (3)

12. Miami (ACC)

17. Virginia (ACC)

22. Georgia Tech (ACC)