David Pollack suggests 2 major changes to college football’s postseason
By David Wasson
Published:
College football’s postseason has changed dramatically in recent years – with the two-team Bowl Championship Series starting in 1988 before being replaced by the 4-team College Football Playoff in 2014 to the current 12-team iteration that began in 2024.
Further expansion has been discussed almost as soon as the 12-team format began, though, with some conference commissioners preferring a 16-team format but others angling toward a 24-team playoff that would eliminate conference championship games.
Former Georgia standout and former ESPN analyst David Pollack delivered his thoughts on playoff expansion and his vision for what the postseason should look like Wednesday when was a guest on ESPN analyst Greg McElroy’s “Always College Football” podcast.
Pollack advocated for getting rid of conference championship games and for holding more CFP contests on campus sites.
“Don’t get me started, because I might get my blood pressure up. Because what we’ve got right now, it just ticks me off,” Pollack said. “Let’s move on from conference championships. I used to prioritize them… but it shouldn’t be a punishment to go play in the SEC Championship Game.
“I want to see home games. Do another round of home games. Neutral sites aren’t that great. … It is so much better when those games are at home and the energy is through the roof and it is amazing. Don’t ever give me two G-5 teams again, and don’t give me any G-5 teams in there. They aren’t in there to win it. They’re not in there to be competitive. They can barely even compete in the game to make it remotely close – not less string a couple together.”
Despite Pollack’s plea, the SEC Championship is still expected to be held this year. Here’s a look at the odds to win the SEC in 2026 on Kalshi:
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
