Coaches Association Backs 24-Team College Football Playoff Expansion Despite Criticisms

College football's playoff began with four teams, sparking endless debates over selection criteria. Talks soon turned to expansion for fewer arguments, more excitement and higher TV revenue. The 12-team format has mostly delivered.

Playoff games on campuses draw huge crowds for high-stakes matchups. Fans get weeks of action, including rivalries and cross-conference clashes.

Debates persist, though. The 2025 field highlighted issues: Alabama made it with three losses after an SEC title-game blowout, passing two-loss Notre Dame, which had won 10 straight. Two Group of Five teams qualified but lost badly to Oregon and Ole Miss.

This fueled calls for more expansion. The Big Ten and SEC clashed on plans, but the American Football Coaches Association endorsed a 24-team field with changes. The group lacks binding power but carries weight. The Big Ten favors 24 teams; the SEC prefers 16.

Critics say the SEC has the better idea. The current schedule stretches into late January—the 2026 title game hit Jan. 19, far from the traditional early-January finish. Coaches want to drop conference championships and tighten the gap after the regular season. Those games add little value now, and the December break served academics, which no one claims matter for players anymore. A shorter lull could sustain buzz and shift the title game earlier.

A 24-team field goes too far. It would drag out the playoff and admit teams with no business there. In 2025, the committee ranked 8-4 Iowa at No. 23 and Arizona at No. 17. Georgia Tech sat at No. 22. UNLV ended 2024 regular season at No. 24. Syracuse hit No. 21 at 9-3; Mississippi State was No. 22 at 8-4 in 2022, crushed 75-25 combined by Alabama and Georgia.

Group of Five mismatches already draw complaints. Adding four-loss teams would worsen that.

Worse, it would erode college football's top regular season. Every Saturday brings huge stakes unlike the NFL. The 12-team setup cut some impact but kept most. Twenty-four teams would gut it.

Non-conference scheduling has suffered. The USC-Notre Dame series ended partly because both eyed easier playoff paths without facing off. The SEC's shift to nine conference games killed other big matchups. A 24-team field would accelerate the damage.

Big programs could grab three easy non-conference wins, then go 6-3 in conference for a near-lock. A 5-4 conference mark with four losses might suffice some years. Why chance a tough out-of-conference game?

Rivalry games could lose meaning too. Ohio State and Michigan might meet at 9-2, top 15. A loss counts as a 'quality' hit to strength of schedule. With just seeding on the line, teams might rest starters after halftime.