The debate over a 24-team College Football Playoff landed squarely in Chicago when Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti addressed how an expanded bracket should be selected and who would decide access.
Petitti said the CFP selection committee should pick a 24-team field and that automatic qualifiers are not his focus, a position relayed in reporting by Saturday Down South
Key Takeaways
- Tony Petitti told reporters at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago that he is not advocating for automatic bids in a proposed 24-team College Football Playoff.
- Petitti said the CFP selection committee should pick the full field of 24 teams rather than guaranteeing automatic qualifiers.
- The Big Ten has pushed for a 24-team expansion while the SEC continues to favor a 16-team plan to preserve the regular season and conference title games.
- Most-discussed 16-team proposals would include five automatic conference champions and 11 at-large spots, while the current 12-team format already awards automatic recognition to five conference champions.
Petitti remarks on 24-team College Football Playoff
Petitti delivered his comments on Day 1 of Big Ten Media Days in Chicago while framing the discussion around who should decide access if the playoff expands beyond the current field.
He told reporters, “I’ve never heard (SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey) say he won’t consider 24.” He added, “We’re not focused on auto qualifiers; the committee will pick the field of 24. There’s been a lot of movement among coaches around the country that 24 is the right number.”
The remarks emphasize a preference for maintaining selection authority with the CFP committee even as conference leaders debate bracket size and qualification mechanics.
How a 24-team Playoff would change automatic bids and selection
Under the current 12-team model, the structure already gives automatic recognition to the five highest-ranked conference champions while leaving remaining slots to the CFP selection committee.
Proponents of a 24-team field have pushed broader access, but Petitti’s comments make clear that at least one leading commissioner envisions the selection committee retaining final authority rather than locking in a slate of automatic qualifiers.
By contrast, the commonly discussed 16-team model would formalize five automatic conference champions alongside 11 at-large bids, a compromise some conferences favor to preserve the stakes of the regular season.
24-team Playoff versus 16-team and 12-team formats
| Format | Field size | Automatic bids | Selection authority | Regular season impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current 12-team | 12 teams | Automatic spots for the five highest-ranked conference champions | CFP selection committee decides remaining spots and seeds bracket | Maintains high stakes for conference races and title games |
| Proposed 16-team | 16 teams | Most proposals include five automatic conference champions and 11 at-large bids | CFP selection committee would fill at-large slots and seed bracket | Designed to preserve regular-season meaning while expanding access |
| Proposed 24-team | 24 teams | Automatic bids not universally advocated; selection could remain committee-driven | Petitti said the CFP selection committee should pick the field of 24 | Offers broader access but raises questions about scheduling and championship game structure |
SEC postseason access and recruiting implications
The SEC has publicly leaned toward a 16-team expansion out of concern that larger brackets could reduce the significance of the regular season and force changes to conference championship games.
From a program perspective, the difference between 16 and 24 teams matters for access: a larger field creates more paths to the postseason, which could ease year-to-year turnover pressure and alter recruiting messages about playoff visibility.
Coaches and conference administrators will weigh wider access against scheduling consequences and the value placed on conference titles, and that balance will influence how the SEC negotiates its position as discussions over expansion continue.
