What’s going on with the college football playoff? Explained

College Football Playoff's future up for debate at upcoming meeting: Big Ten and SEC disagree on selection process and automatic qualifiers. Will the current 12-team model get a revamp?

Tuesday, June 17th 2025, 5:51 pm

By: News On 6


The structure of the College Football Playoff (CFP) is at a crossroads, and this week’s meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, could offer major clues about its future.

What’s at stake?

Commissioners from all 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame’s athletic director are meeting to discuss whether the current 12-team playoff model, which relies on a selection committee, needs significant changes, especially when it comes to strength of schedule (SOS) and automatic qualifiers (AQs).

The Central Debate: Selection Committee vs. Automatic Qualifiers

  1. The SEC wants tweaks to the current system, specifically how strength of schedule is calculated. It argues that its teams go through a "regular season gauntlet" and deserve more credit in the selection process.
  2. The Big Ten, meanwhile, believes more automatic bids should be given to conferences, such as a 5 AQs + 11 at-large model or even the previously floated 14- or 16-team playoff formats. It sees this as the best way to keep more fanbases engaged and increase late-season viewership and attendance.

Behind the Scenes: SEC vs. Big Ten

Though the Big Ten and SEC have aligned in the past (even proposing joint showcases), there’s now clear friction:

  1. The SEC plays only 8 conference games, compared to the Big Ten’s 9, and schedules more FCS teams.
  2. The Big Ten argues that without more conference games or scheduling equity, it’s not fair to keep using only subjective rankings or minor SOS tweaks to determine playoff spots.

Other Issues at Play

  1. Some leaders want a minimum of 10 Power Four opponents per season.
  2. There's pressure to reduce reliance on FCS opponents.
  3. Concerns exist about the lack of clearly defined metrics used by the committee to separate borderline teams from different conferences.

Forgotten Compromise: A 14-Team Playoff

In 2024, a 14-team format was proposed with automatic bids split among the Power Four leagues. But the ACC and Big 12 rejected it, potentially missing a chance to settle the current feud. Now, the clock is ticking.

What Happens Next?

  1. No final decisions will be made this week, but the deadline to finalize the 2026 format is Dec. 1, 2025.
  2. If the Big Ten and SEC can’t agree, the current 12-team, selection committee-driven format could continue beyond 2025.
  3. If they can agree, it could lead to a 16-team playoff, more automatic bids, or a revised selection formula.

Bottom line:

College football’s playoff future is hanging in the balance, with the Big Ten and SEC at odds over how to reward teams and determine champions in an era of super-conferences and sky-high TV revenue. The next few months could define the sport’s postseason for the next decade.

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