CFP Executive on Big Ten Proposal: ‘We Sound Like Immature Children’

The College Football Playoff landscape feels like it’s tilting off balance. The Big Ten’s latest proposal to expand the field to 24 or even 28 teams is already drawing heat from CFP insiders.

One executive put it bluntly to CBS Sports: “We sound like immature children throwing garbage against the wall” just to see what sticks.

Even SEC administrators are frustrated. The current proposal sailed into public view before discussions ever wrapped up behind closed doors. “It’s frustrating that these topics can’t be discussed behind the scenes and brought out to the public once they’ve been vetted,” said one SEC official.

The Big Ten wants a field that grants seven auto bids to both itself and the SEC, five to the Big 12 and ACC, two to the Group of Five conferences, and two at-large spots. That structure would eliminate conference championship games and start the playoff earlier, even by early December, with campus sites hosting the opening rounds.

The change is no small task to accomplish, as CFP executives must finalize any format change by December 1 for the 2026 season. The rushed, incomplete conversation is exactly what’s spurring these gripes.

At stake is more than logistics and revenue; the proposal risks fracturing trust among conferences, undercutting broadcast partners, and upending the postseason model that just moved from four to twelve teams. If college football’s marquee moment turns into a grab for more access instead of a fight for legitimacy, everyone loses.

The issue is not whether expansion should happen. Unfortunately, it’s how and when at this point. Right now, these early moves are drawing criticism for all the wrong reasons. Let the process be deliberative, not a reaction.