The College Football Playoff has already expanded to 12 teams, completely changing the nature of the sport’s postseason. Is that the right number for the long term? According to the leadership of USC’s conference, perhaps not.
Per a recent report from ESPN, the Big Ten has reportedly floated the idea of expanding the playoff to 24, or even 28 teams. This would more than double the size of the current field, and give us a playoff six or seven times the size of what it was just two years ago.
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“Under the proposal, conference championship games would be scrapped, and there would be a sizable chunk of automatic bids awarded to each of the Power Four conferences,” Craig Meyer of USA TODAY Sports wrote about the proposal. “In a 28-team model, according to ESPN, the Big Ten and SEC would each receive seven bids to the playoff, while the ACC and Big 12 would each get five. That would leave two spots for the non-power conferences, plus two at-large selections. The field would be seeded by the College Football Playoff committee, which would also be tasked with picking the at-large inclusions.”
While it is highly unlikely that the proposal will come to pass anytime soon, the fact that it is even being talked about highlights where we are with college football in 2025. For better or worse, the playoff is priority No. 1 now, with rivalries, traditions, and conference races taking a back seat as a result.
As for how this would affect USC? The Trojans have yet to qualify for the College Football Playoff at either four or 12 teams. If they are unable to make a 28-team playoff with seven guaranteed bids for the Big Ten, then they have some serious issues on their hands.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten mega-expasion of College Football Playoff is not helpful
