Changes have come and will continue to go to the College Football Playoff in future years.
While the current format involves 12 teams, the Big Ten and SEC are interested in expanding the format to 16 teams and having a new playoff seeding plan, which has angered insiders like Stewart Mandel.
Stewart Mandel Disapproves of Big Ten and SEC Playoff Proposal
According to The Athletic’s Mandel, the Big Ten and the SEC are planning to propose changes to the College Football Playoff format.
For starters, both conferences want 16 teams in, with each of them earning the right to have four teams in automatically.
Here is what Mandel had to say recently about the proposal:
“The Big Ten and SEC are plowing ahead with a bizarre future CFP format (four AQs each, double byes and more) that would cause serious damage to college football. Will anyone put a stop to this madness before it’s too late?”
The Big Ten and SEC are plowing ahead with a bizarre future CFP format (four AQs each, double byes and more) that would cause serious damage to college football.
Will anyone put a stop to this madness before it’s too late?
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) May 25, 2025
Mandel might need to take a step back and realize that this idea will not ruin college football.
If the proposal were ever to be accepted, it would take some time to get used to, certainly for fans.
Also, it might be upsetting for fans of other conferences to see the Big Ten and the SEC each get four automatic teams into the field.
The overall proposal wouldn’t cause damage to college football like Mandel thinks it would, but the type of format would likely be less popular than the current one.
Why the College Football Playoff Cannot Continue to Expand
The College Football Playoff was a fantastic idea simply because, unlike the BCS, it gives more teams a chance to compete for a national title.
However, football is perhaps the most demanding physical sport in the world, so the playoffs cannot continue to build.
If the format included more and more teams, the season would include more and more games.
The current playoff format of 12 teams is solid because it allows every major conference to have its fair share of teams while also including teams from smaller conferences.
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Also, the more College Football Playoff games there are, the less pageantry is present in regular bowl games.
The sport of college football deserves to have the best possible playoff format, and that is why 12 teams is a solid amount to have with very little confusion.
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