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Big 12 and ACC Have Their Own Idea on a 16-Team College Football Playoff

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Pete Mundo | Last updated May 27, 2025 3:14 PM ET

With the SEC meetings ongoing this week in Florida, the future of the College Football Playoff remains the hottest topic of conversation.

It seems to be only a matter of when, not if, the College Football Playoff expands from 12 teams to 16 teams. The question is, what will it look like?

We know the Big Ten and SEC want four automatic bids for their conferences, with the Big 12 and ACC each receiving two. However, as Brett McMurphy has reported, the Big Ten and SEC have each been proposed a plan with five automatic bids for the Power 4 champions and one Group of 6, with the rest filled with at-large bids.

A College Football Playoff format w/5 auto bids (Power 4 conference champs & one Group of 6) plus rest of field filled w/at large teams, whether its 12, 14 or 16 team field, has been proposed "multiple times" to Big Ten & SEC, sources said. Big Ten & SEC have proposed 4 auto bids…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 27, 2025

I understand the goal of the Big 12 and ACC to limit the auto bids for the Big Ten and SEC, but this will still heavily favor the SEC and Big Ten, and will give more power to a flawed selection committee that hasn’t exactly been kind to the Big 12 Conference over the years.

The ideal plan should be to reduce reliance on any kind of a committee. This plan may be the lesser of two evils, for now, but the reality is the Big Ten and SEC hold all the chips and can make whatever changes they want to a College Football Playoff format starting in 2026.

According to Ross Dellenger from Yahoo Sports, from those who have viewed the memorandum, the agreement grants the Big Ten and SEC control over the format but directs them to have “meaningful consultation” and collect “input” from the other conferences and TV partner, ESPN.

But the Big 12 and ACC is rightfully pushing back as the SEC and Big Ten try to flex their muscle and continue to pursue a Power 2 situation across college football. It’s imperative that the Big 12 and ACC, along with Notre Dame and the Group of 6, stand united at this critical time in college football.

Will they do it?

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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