Whether everyone wants to admit it or not, we are clearly at a crossroads in college football.
While the sport is just about as popular as ever, the new rules and policies have put college football in a very delicate place.
With conference realignment changing the entire landscape, let alone the dramatic effects of NIL and the transfer portal, there are many who believe the end of the NCAA as we know it could be near.
Is it time for college football to divorce itself from the NCAA?@dandakich and @KirkHerbstreit discuss pic.twitter.com/CmwhDD07Ch
— OutKick (@Outkick) March 2, 2024
With talk that the playoff field will most likely be bumped up from 12-teams to 14-teams, everyone is anxious to see how things will play out.
The 12-team format officially debuts this coming season. Under the format, the five highest-ranked conference champions are assured a place in the bracket, with four conference winners earning a coveted first-round bye.
However, with the field (humorously in timing) being likely extended to 14-teams, the SEC and Big Ten are already seeking special treatment.
Reports indicate that both conferences seek three automatic qualifiers and the only two first-round byes allocated to their conference champions.
Using the CFP committee’s final rankings* and reflecting conference realignment changes, @YahooSports created what a 2023 14-team CFP bracket might look like in the “11AQ + 3AL” proposed model.
*while also avoiding 1st round conference matchupshttps://t.co/SBNluvjbre pic.twitter.com/z3kDcf2ADb
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 29, 2024
In fairness, the SEC and Big Ten are undoubtedly the two best and most powerful conferences in the country.
You may not like it, but it’s the way it is.
Of course, the two power conferences are going to look out for their best interests and will seek to guarantee as many playoff spots and byes as possible. (As well as keeping their own conference title games as relevant and attractive as possible. $$$!)
This is ridiculous – even for the greedy parties here. Because if the Big Ten and SEC illegitimately get a first-round bye, it delegitimizes any potential champion from those leagues. So after finally having a playoff that delivers a true champion, we might not actually have one. https://t.co/h6mn1aAi3C
— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) March 5, 2024
On the other side of the argument are those from other conferences, such as TCU head coach Sonny Dykes.
“Automatic first-round byes for the Big Ten and SEC is like the NFL saying the Cowboys get a first-round bye since they have more fans than the Bengals,” Dykes told ESPN. “How preposterous is that?”
TCU coach Sonny Dykes on the College Football Playoff proposal that would grant SEC and Big Ten teams a bye 👀
"Automatic first-round byes for the Big Ten and SEC is like the NFL saying the Cowboys get a first-round bye since they have more fans than the Bengals."
(via @dwil) pic.twitter.com/l5tVEzR23V
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 2, 2024
While coaches lack the authority to alter the playoff structure, their discontent adds weight to the ongoing discourse, especially with the profession being in such a delicate place at the college level.
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy lambasted the proposed format as unprecedented, highlighting the potential scenario where an undefeated, top-ranked team could be denied a bye purely due to pre-season allocations.
“A playoff format that guarantees a first-round bye to any team, division, or conference before the season starts is unheard of in any sport as far as I’m aware,” the respected Gundy said.
“Based on the premise proposed, a team could be undefeated and ranked #1 in the country and still not receive a first-round bye because teams were awarded one before the season even began,” he added.
"Let the teams decide it on the field…"
Mike Gundy comments on proposed 14-team playoff that would award automatic byes to the SEC and Big Ten. #okstatehttps://t.co/fyCLACyscw
— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) March 2, 2024
Also central to the debate is revenue distribution, with projections suggesting a substantial share for the SEC and Big Ten, leaving comparatively smaller slices for other conferences, including the ACC and Big 12.
Coaches such as NC State’s Dave Doeren voiced apprehension over the rigid allocation of automatic qualifiers, cautioning against the potential displacement of higher-ranked teams.
“The champions from each of those four deserve to be in, and I agree with that,” Doeren said. “After the four champions, then let those teams that have earned that over the course of their season with strength of schedule, their ranking, quality wins and all that be what matters.”
The hypocrisy is running rampant with the #CFP news. For years we have heard from the SEC commissioner and others that “the best” teams, regardless of whether they won a conference should be in the playoffs. Now the SEC and Big Ten want multiple automatic bids and a bye!
— Dave Surma (@davesurma) March 1, 2024
Echoing similar sentiments, North Carolina coach Mack Brown stressed the importance of fair treatment for conference champions.
“I feel the four conference champs should be treated equally and all should have a first-round bye,” Brown said.
For Gundy, the solution is clear-cut: let performance on the field dictate playoff participation.
“We need to let the teams decide it on the field and reward those who are most deserving,” Gundy concluded.
The big ten / SEC proposal for playoff byes is 100% why joining the sec will always be looked at as the right move for OU. We removed any risk of being left behind and permanently cemented in a 2nd tier of CFB. https://t.co/n4EzpvSDnw
— Matt M. (@realmattmorton) March 2, 2024
What are your thoughts on the messy situation?
Will the playoff field indeed expand from 12-to-14 teams? Should it?
Do you think the SEC and Big Ten, being as powerful as they are, deserve preferential treatment when it comes to seedings and byes?
Or do you agree with Gundy that nothing should be guaranteed, and everything should be earned on the field???