LAS VEGAS — Inside a makeshift office at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, one of the most powerful men in college sports leaned back in a chair at the head of a long conference table and let out a chuckle.
The battle over the College Football Playoff’s future format is a hot topic at the Big Ten’s annual media days. But that’s nothing new for Commissioner Tony Petitti, who fields calls from constituents and other commissioners on the subject almost daily.
“Depends on the week, (it’s a) decent amount,” he told CBS Sports, composing himself. “But we should. That’s what the job is.”
The Big Ten continues to push for a 16-team playoff, with multiple automatic qualifiers from power conferences: four from the Big Ten and SEC, and two each from the ACC and Big 12. The 4+4+2+2+1+3 proposal would also award a berth to the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, with three at-large selections made by the CFP selection committee.
The proposal opens the door to potential play-in games in the Big Ten and SEC. For now, only the Big Ten supports the model, while others campaign for more at-large bids — increasing the burden for a selection committee already under fire after several three-loss teams were left out of the field during the first year of the 12-team playoff.
The most popular alternative is the 5+11 format, which gives automatic berths to the five highest-ranked conference champions and allows for 11 at-large bids chosen by the committee. That format is a non-starter for Petitti, though he said he remains open to other options.
“It’s not just lip service,” Petitti said. “If people have ideas and formats they want to consider, they’ll find us ready to do the work quickly to get answers back. It doesn’t mean it’ll be an easy hurdle, but…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/8-4-teams-in-the-cfp-big-ten-commissioner-tony-petitti-explains-vision-for-college-football-postseason/
Author : Brandon Marcello
Publish date : 2025-07-23 16:18:00
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