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2h ago

Big Ten Floats 24-Team College Football Playoff Plan That Would Scrap Conference Title Games

ESPN reports the plan is an internal Big Ten vision detailing a potential expansion to 24 teams by 2029.

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Feb 11, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; A general view of Big Ten Conference signage on the court before a game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
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Oct 9, 2025; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during Big Ten Men’s Basketball Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention

Overview

  • The document outlines a phased path that would move the CFP to 16 teams in 2027–28 before reaching 24 teams no later than the 2029 season.
  • For a 24-team bracket, selection would include the 23 highest-rated teams plus one Group of Six berth with no automatic qualifiers, top eight seeds receiving byes, and two early rounds played on campus.
  • The interim 16-team model proposes five automatic qualifiers, 11 at-large bids, byes for the top two seeds, and opening games on the second weekend of December.
  • The proposal argues for eliminating conference championships as a player-welfare and competitive measure, even as the document notes Power Four title games carry at least $200 million in television value.
  • Talks remain stuck as the SEC is open to 16 teams without a firm path to 24, and the CFP stays at 12 teams for 2026 with major media-rights and logistics questions unresolved.