‘Astoundingly terrible idea’: College football world outraged over Big Ten’s 28-team CFP idea
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A chorus of boos rang out Saturday afternoon shortly after ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the Big Ten has begun floating an idea for a 28-team College Football Playoff.
Most of the sport reacted with a similar disgust at the prospect of more than doubling the size of the CFP. According to Thamel’s reporting, the Big Ten is in the very early stages of a proposal that would eliminate conference championship games and feature “a large number” of automatic qualifiers for every power conference. Under the 28-team proposal, the Big Ten and the SEC would each receive 7 automatic bids, while the ACC and Big 12 each received 5.
The 28-team model would put 20 CFP games on college campuses. The CFP selection committee would remain in place, seeding the field and selecting the at-large teams.
Other national college football reporters were quick to corroborate ESPN’s reporting. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger added that multiple 20-plus-team CFP models have been tossed around. CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello reported the Big Ten is “no longer focused” on a 16-team model and has instead shifted its attention to a larger field.
The Big Ten and the SEC had been working throughout the spring and summer to reach a consensus on a 16-team model. The Big Ten wanted multiple auto-bids for itself and the SEC. Many within the SEC supported a 5+11 format that would save the bulk of the spots for at-large teams.
Perhaps those differences led the Big Ten to think larger. Whatever the reasoning, fans and media alike were not happy when confronted with the prospect of a 28-team College Football Playoff.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
