Jul 8, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark addresses the media during the 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Brett Yormark Doubles Down on 5-11 College Football Playoff Model at Big 12 Media Day

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 9:48 AM ET

There's a lot of uncertainty with the future of college football with NIL, rev share, the transfer portal, and so forth. But the one thing that seems to be buried behind all of that talk is the future of the college football playoff.

At Big 12 media days, conference commissioner Brett Yormark made sure to bring it back to the forefront of college football discussion, hammering home the 5-11 model and how it's what is best for the sport.

Brett Yormark coming in hot this morning with Big 12 predictions and the changes with the College Football Playoff model.

He doubled-down on the need for a 5+11 format. pic.twitter.com/Z4Q45Y0Bzx
— Dan Lindblad (@DanLindbladTV) July 8, 2025

"5-11 is fair. We want to earn it on the field. It might not be the best solution today for the Big 12, given your comments about AQs," Yormark said in response to a question. "But long-term, knowing the progress we’re making, the investments we’re making…it’s the right format for us, and I’m doubling down today on 5-11. I know (ACC commissioner) Jim Phillips will, and I’m sure some of the other conference commissioners will as well."

Well, he's probably right on Jim Phillips echoing those thoughts, but I'm not sure the same can be said for the other two Power Four commissioners, Tony Petitti (Big Ten) and Greg Sankey (SEC). They're not in favor of the 5-11 model and instead believe more automatic bids should be handed out, giving their respective conferences more access.

They are pushing for a 4-4-2-2-1 model where the Big Ten and SEC each receive four auto bids, the Big 12 and ACC receive two, and one goes to the highest-ranked Group of Six champ, leaving three at-large bids on the table.

Yormark and Phillips would be crazy to sign up for that. There's no other league in sports that just gifts extra access to a certain division or conference. That's just nonsense.