The College Football Playoff Executive Committee Meets This Week

[Jon Joseph]

 

The CFB Executive Committee, 10 Conference Commissioners, and ESPN Representatives gather in Las Colinas, Texas, (probably not in a Motel 6 ) this week to discuss possible changes to the 2025 PO format and further discuss the 2026 PO format.

 

The 2026 PO format will likely be the format until ESPN's exclusive PO broadcast agreement expires after the 2031-32 season.

 

A change to PO teams being seeded as ranked is not likely to happen before 2026. With Boise's 1st round bye in 2024-25, the Mountain West picked up an extra $4 million. The B1G and the SEC do not have the votes to make this logical change in 2025-26.

 

The format for 2026-27 and thereafter has to be decided by December 1, 2025. The CFP Executive Committee has set an unofficial date of new format approval at its mid-June meetings in Asheville, NC. 

 

The B1G and the SEC are expected to inform the attendees that they will push for the 4-4-2-2-1-1 Format in 2026 through 2032. A 14-team field, 4 representatives each appointed by the B1G and the SEC, 2 spots reserved for the ACC and B12, and 1 for the highest-ranked G6 program.

 

The other '1' is Notre Dame's if the Irish finish ranked in the Top 14, an at-large spot if the Irish finish lower than 14. Not happening.

 

The B1G and the SEC have the voting power to make the 4-4-2-2-1-1 format happen. The Power 2 have been accused of greed, but by any and every metric, the format is justified, including the number of viewers tuning in to watch the games.

 

The format is also buttressed by 2025 preseason strength of schedule (SOS) rankings.

 

ESPN's SP+ 2025 Top 40 SOS rankings: 

 

SEC - 16 of 16 teams in the top 40, 100%.

 

B1G - 17 of 18 teams in the top 40, 94%.

 

ACC - 7 of 17 teams, 41%.

 

B12 - Zero Teams. Nothing from Nothing Leaves Nothing. 

 

But JJ, it's ESecPN and the SP+ favors the SEC!

 

Fair enough. Let's look at the College Football News 2025 Top 40 SOS rankings.

 

SEC - 12 of 16, 75%.

 

B1G - 13 of 18, 72%.

 

ACC - 8 of 17, 47%.

 

B12 - 5 of 16, 31%.

 

If the ACC wants a 3rd guaranteed spot, stop enabling Notre Dame's independence and force the Irish to join the ACC and play a conference champ game if positioned to do so, or Notre Dame can find 12 teams (it should be 13 teams) to play on its own. 

 

This is BIG Business. The B1G and SEC dominate the business. Both will, of course, be accused of greed, but the numbers speak for themselves.

 

Every preseason Top 40 2025 SOS ranking has the SEC and the B1G playing more difficult schedules. Every 10-2 record is not the same. 

 

Hold your noses! One more season of at least two lower-ranked teams being seeded in the top. 

[Charles Fischer]

And they wonder why the Super-2 want to take control? So that teams that come from lower conferences like Boise State and Arizona State do not hose us....as Oregon was in the Playoff.  How much did that cost Oregon and the conference?

 

It may not be fair to the other conferences...but it will not be fair to us if we continue with this nonsense. They will get their two years of out-sized reward, and then....

 

 

[Jon Joseph]

 

Typical whining. The 'Little Guy?' Sir, no team without a Blue Chip Roster won a BCS, a 4-Team, or a 12-team Playoff Title. And no team without a BCR will win a 14 or 16-team PO.

 

 

Potential new College Football Playoff format would stomp out the little guys for good

FANSIDED.COM

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The new College Football Playoff format ideas are getting out of hand.

 

People do not tune in to watch the G6, the ACC, and the B12 close to the numbers who tune in to watch the Power 2. 

 

Likely 2 million more viewers would have tuned in the watch Bama at Penn State last season and not stumbling, bumbling SMU. 

 

The NFL does not invite UFL teams to its playoffs. This is not college basketball, where the 'little guy' can win.

 

Look at every metric. The B12 in particular should be grateful to have two teams in the field. One G6 team is more than enough.

 

[Charles Fischer]

Jon...that was such a great post above. Everybody forgets about the Blue-Chip Ratio, but it is a thing...and it makes sense. Many of us Oregon fans did not see the difference in recruiting the trenches, and the difference it made in our results until the recent years of elite recruiting. You don't win big games without elite trenches, and those players are going to be attending the Super-Two conference schools.

 

Even if the Super-Two did not plan to set themselves up well in the Playoffs--it would end up with one of them winning the 'Natty each year anyway due to the quality of player and coaching...from the additional revenue generated being in a Super-Two conference. But the question is....do we include teams that have NO CHANCE to win a 'Natty versus teams like Oregon, that if seeded properly not only have a chance to progress further in the Playoffs, but actually have a chance to win it?

 

Your comment about the numbers of eyeballs is....just about everything here isn't it? Why do we have the silly conference tournaments? More eyeballs and revenue... And the eyeballs watching the big matchups are naturally going to be a ton higher.

 

I still say...."make it 16 teams" to stop the nonsense about the little guy being left out, as there would be room for anyone with a real chance of winning to be in the Playoff. No byes, and structure it like the NFL as you have suggested in the past.

 

Jon.....You Are...