Joel Klatt Unpacks the Big Ten’s Reported Game-Changing CFP Expansion Proposal

At first blush, the Big Ten‘s reported idea of proposing that the College Football Playoff move to 24 or 28 teams might sound shocking. But for those who value the idea of the four power conferences being on equal footing, perhaps the idea is worth another look.

FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt explained how a possible 24-team CFP is much more likely to be discussed than a 28-team CFP proposal.

“The model that is being talked about with any seriousness is a 24-team model,” Klatt said on his podcast, “The Joel Klatt Show.” “With a 24-team model, you can at least, in theory, make more sense of it. They’re talking about eight teams having a bye and then having the other 16 teams play each other to whittle it down to 16 and going from there. That’s fine.

“Regardless of what you think of that, I will say, it’s an attempt of putting a net over all four constituents. What you’re saying is, ‘It can be selection-based, but there’s going to be a significant amount of automatic spots.’ And you don’t have to say, ‘Big 12 and ACC, you’re less than us,’ because there’s enough to go around. So, as surprising as it seems, I think that’s why we got it floated out there.”

While the exact format of the Big Ten’s potential 24-team proposal isn’t known yet, the 28-team model would have the Big Ten and the SEC receiving seven automatic bids each, while the ACC and the Big 12 would each receive five automatic bids. Two Group of 5 teams would also get automatic bids, and there would be two more spots for at-large bids, per a report from ESPN.

Both possible rumored 24- and 28-team formats would also come with conference championship game weekend being eradicated. If that’s the case, Klatt pointed out how the 24-team model could be similar to one of the ideas being floated about for a possible expansion to 16 teams.

“The 24-team model is not all that different, in theory, than what the Big Ten already suggested with a 16-team model and attached to the play-in games on conference championship game weekend,” Klatt said. “If you had play-in games in order to get to the 16, you would have about 24 teams [battling for those 16 spots].”

[Read more: How 2024-25 CFP Would’ve Looked Under Proposed Expansion Formats]

The most recent enlargement rumor comes after months of debate on how one can develop the CFP subject from 2026-32 forward of the Dec. 1 deadline. Whereas the primary yr of the 12-team CFP in 2024 was largely seen as successful, some school soccer leaders have pushed the concept of increasing it to 16 groups. Nonetheless, there have been disagreements about what number of computerized bids every convention ought to get.

If the powers that be opted to develop the CFP past 12 groups, Klatt needs them to maintain three aims in thoughts. 

“In case you’re going to alter something about school soccer, it ought to actually obtain these issues: we ought to be growing worth, growing fanbase and pleasure and stabilizing the game,” he stated. “The 12-team playoff, with its flaws, did that.”

[Read more: Tony Petitti Seeks More Meaningful Games In CFP Expansion: ‘Bigger Is Better’]

Huge Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who Klatt identified is likely one of the two individuals with essentially the most management over CFP enlargement (SEC commissioner Greg Sankey being the opposite), advised “The Joel Klatt Present” in June that he is searching for a extra access-based mannequin for CFP enlargement.

“I would like extra groups to really feel like they’re chasing that chance to compete for a nationwide championship,” Pettiti stated. “Groups can get sizzling late within the season. The very fact they lose a recreation early should not disqualify them. To play extra significant convention video games as late as doable.”

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