SouthernWorldwide.com – The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has officially voiced its support for the Big Ten’s ambitious proposal to expand the College Football Playoff (CFP) to a 24-team format. This announcement came from ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips on Wednesday.
Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day spring meeting held at a luxurious resort in northeast Florida, Phillips revealed that ACC coaches and athletic directors have collectively agreed on the necessity of doubling the current size of the CFP.
“When you’re excluding national championship-contending teams and schools from the playoff, it indicates that the current number isn’t sufficient,” Phillips stated. “We have personally experienced this.”
Phillips cited instances such as the undefeated Florida State Seminoles being controversially left out of the four-team CFP field in 2023, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish being overlooked for a spot in last year’s 12-team model.
“Notre Dame was undoubtedly a CFP-worthy team this year; they simply were,” he emphasized. “Furthermore, there’s a significant amount of investment happening within the sport of football and collegiate athletics. If we expect presidents, chancellors, and boards to continue investing in their football programs, it’s crucial that they have hope and a realistic opportunity from the start of the season to make it into the playoff.”
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Coaches and administrators have long been advocating for greater access to the highly lucrative and potentially career-saving playoff system. They highlight the disparity of having only 12 playoff spots available for 138 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), representing a minuscule percentage when compared to many other collegiate sports or major professional leagues.
“The more, the merrier,” commented Florida State athletic director Michael Alford. “It provides more opportunities for teams to get in and for student-athletes to have those chances.”
Phillips also shared insights regarding the conference’s television partner, ESPN. He indicated that ESPN has been quite clear with all parties involved, expressing a preference for the playoff to remain at 12 teams, perhaps expanding to 14, but not exceeding 16.
Despite the ACC and other conferences potentially backing a 24-team playoff, the ultimate authority on the CFP’s future structure rests with the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Commissioners Tony Petitti of the Big Ten and Greg Sankey of the SEC hold the decisive power over any expansion decisions.
Currently, the SEC is advocating for an expansion to 16 teams, with a particular focus on including at-large bids. The Big Ten, on the other hand, supports the 24-team format and initially proposed having multiple automatic qualifiers from each conference.
The playoff system underwent an expansion from four to 12 teams in 2024. Following a failure by decision-makers to reach a consensus on further expansion, the CFP is set to utilize the same 12-team model for the 2026-27 season. This ongoing discussion carries significant implications for the college football calendar, including the timing of the season’s commencement and conclusion, as well as the importance of revenue-generating conference championship games.
In a related development, an NCAA committee put forth a recommendation last month. This recommendation suggests that FBS teams should adhere to a 12-game schedule played over 14 weeks, commencing in 2027. Under this proposal, the season would begin on the Thursday of the week currently designated as Week Zero and conclude on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
Last week, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) put forward its own set of proposed schedule changes. These include the elimination of conference championship games, a reduction in scheduled bye weeks from two to one, and a decrease in the minimum number of days between games to no less than six.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey reiterated his stance earlier this week, remaining firm on the SEC’s push for an expansion to a 16-team CFP.
Sankey emphasized that any changes within college athletics must be supported by thorough research, a criterion he believes the SEC has met in its advocacy for a four-team expansion to 16. For Sankey, the move to a 16-team playoff represents an uncharted territory, with a major question being whether an expanded playoff could adequately compensate for the revenue generated by an SEC championship game, which currently brings in over $80 million annually for the powerhouse conference.
The existing contract for the College Football Playoff includes a deadline of December 1, 2026, for any alterations to be implemented for the subsequent season.
