Big Ten commish stumps for AQ-heavy CFP model

LAS VEGAS -- Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti connected Tuesday continued to advocator for a aboriginal College Football Playoff format dense with automatic qualifiers, saying it volition heighten the regular play and minimize immoderate of the scheduling differences betwixt leagues.

Petitti, speaking astatine the commencement of Big Ten media days, said a 16-team format with 4 automatic qualifying spots for some the Big Ten and the SEC volition amended link the regular play with the postseason. His projected exemplary would see 2 automatic spots for some the ACC and Big 12, 1 for the highest-rated Group of 6 squad and 3 at-large berths.

He said the alternate model, which includes automatic spots for lone the 5 highest-rated league champions and 11 at-large berths determined by a enactment committee, is 1 that volition "have a hard clip gaining enactment from the Big Ten."

The Big Ten and SEC clasp power implicit proposals for a 16-team CFP model, which indispensable scope a solution by the extremity of the twelvemonth and would statesman successful 2026. The 5+11 exemplary has beardown enactment from the Big 12 and ACC, and it gained much traction wrong the SEC aft its outpouring meetings.

If the Big Ten and SEC can't scope an statement connected a 16-team model, the CFP could enactment astatine 12 teams for 2026 and perchance beyond.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said a playoff exemplary much similar nonrecreational sports would not beryllium champion for assemblage football, portion Petitti and Big Ten coaches and administrators are aligned that a format that puts much powerfulness with a enactment committee volition not service the athletics well.

"How are we differentiating from teams that don't person head-to-head play, teams that don't play communal schedules crossed leagues that bash antithetic things?" Petitti said. "I deliberation that's a truly hard, gangly order. Every clip you deliberation astir expansion, it gives immoderate benignant of antagonistic thought that it gets easier to marque these decisions. It really gets harder. More teams look alike. More teams are going to person 9-3 records. More teams are going to conflict successful a league roadworthy game. More teams mightiness stumble astatine a league location game."

Petitti said the blistery taxable concerning the fig of league games -- the Big Ten and Big 12 play nine, portion the SEC and ACC person remained astatine 8 -- becomes little important erstwhile the committee is deciding less at-large spots. As the SEC considers whether to summation to 9 league games, the Big Ten has nary plans to instrumentality to eight.

"Each league volition determine what they deliberation the champion league docket is for them," Petitti said. "In a strategy wherever you person allocated spots, I deliberation successful talking to athletics directors and coaches, I don't deliberation we truly attraction however galore league games immoderate league is playing, due to the fact that you suffice disconnected your league lasting ... but erstwhile you get to a strategy that's expanding the at-larges and expanding the enactment of a enactment committee, that's erstwhile you request to recognize however we're competing successful the regular season."

Petitti said the Big Ten's favored exemplary volition support much teams engaged successful the CFP contention precocious successful the season, arsenic the league would person a play-in play -- alternatively than conscionable a title crippled -- to find who makes the field. The 4+4+2+2+1 exemplary besides would incentivize teams, successful his view, to proceed playing marquee nonleague games specified arsenic the Texas-Ohio State opener connected Aug. 30 successful Columbus.

"If you're 6-3 successful the Big Ten, I would reason that's a large record," Petitti said. "And if you stumbled successful a nonconference game, I don't cognize wherefore that disqualifies you. [An] 8-4 [record] is simply a winning percentage. If you task that winning percent successful each different sport, I'm beauteous definite you marque the postseason."

He aboriginal added: "Does winning a large league crippled assistance you much than losing a nonconference crippled hurt?"

Indiana manager Curt Cignetti, whose squad made the archetypal 12-team CFP successful 2024, said helium thought the SEC was "lock, banal and tube with the 4-4 model" until its outpouring meetings successful Florida.

Cignetti and different Big Ten coaches inactive spot worth successful the plan.

"You've got to person play-in games," Cignetti told ESPN. "On title weekend, we advocator for 3 to play 6 and 4 to play 5, which gives teams much to play for astatine the extremity of the year. Now you're earning it adjacent much truthful connected the playing field.

"College shot fans aren't rather acceptable to accept, successful each parts of the country, 8-5 being a truly bully year."

Petitti remains assured the Big Ten and SEC tin scope a determination connected a 16-team model, noting 2 productive associated meetings during the past year.

"We're evidently not successful the aforesaid spot connected these discussions," Petitti said. "There's tons of ideas. The extremity would beryllium to travel backmost together, person a speech connected what we deliberation works and past benignant of spell from there. But I volition say, each clip we travel unneurotic ... bully things person happened."