It did not take long for a discussion on the format of university football playoffs to start at the start of this so-called “discussion season”.
The Big 12 Media Days opened Tuesday in Frisco, Texas, the Brett Commissioner Yormmark saying that he “doubles” on the desire of the model of the 5-11 qualifying series in 2026.
University football has until December 1 to decide what a new model of playoffs will look like with the CFP field which should develop from its current format with 12 teams at 16 teams from the 2026 season.
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The Big Ten was a vocal supporter of a model that would have four teams automatically qualifying from the SEC, four teams automatically qualifying from the Big Ten, two teams automatically qualifying on the OC, two teams automatically qualifying from the Big 12, a team qualifying among the CFPs of 5 (the highest conference champion) and three AT-Large teams selected among the CFP rankings.
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“We are in Big Ten, and we have 18 teams and some of the country’s best programs”, the coach of Ohio State Ryan Day said to ESPN. “I have the impression that we deserve at least four automatic qualifications.”
The Big 12, ACC and SEC have expressed their support for a model that would have five automatic qualifiers – Power Four Conferences conference champions (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12) and the group of 5 best classified conference champion – and 11 At -Large teams based on the rankings.
“Five-11 is just”, ” Yormark said on Tuesday, by ESPN.com. “”We want to win it in the field. It may not be the best solution today for the Big 12 … but in the long term, knowing the progress we make, the investments we make is the right format for us. And I double today on 5 (more) 11. “
The SEC commissioner, Greg Sankey, has spoken strongly of wanting to the best teams on the playground for university football, which would promote the 5-11 model on a model with more automatic qualifications.
Related: Sankey wants politics to be away from the playoffs
The days of the dry media take place next week in Atlanta, with the Big Ten and ACC Media Days taking place the following week in Las Vegas, and Charlotte, NC, respectively.
For the moment, the ground belongs to the Big 12, and Yormmark also noted Tuesday that the CFP selection committee process for the classification teams was also being evaluated.
“The first step is that we were able to understand, with the selection process, we make a deep dive,” Yormark said on Tuesday. “Where can we improve it?” Where can we modernize it? Do we use the right measures? Are things weighted appropriately or not?
“So we cross this conversation, and I think that on the heels of this, we will enter the format because I think that for the room, people need to become confident, more confident, in this selection process. And assuming that they do it, which I am convinced that they will do it, we can then approach the format that makes sense. ”
Three modifications will come into force in the CFP next season, in what should be the last year of the field of 12 teams before an expansion scheduled for 16 teams:
• There will be a right sowing (based on the final classification by the CFP selection committee)
• The conference champions will not be guaranteed to first -round deadlines
• The four best -classified teams will receive Byes in the first round
