A second wave of College Football Playoff expansion is potentially around the corner, and Nick Saban is on board with the idea of constructing a larger postseason bracket. The legendary former Alabama coach said further expansion “is probably a good thing” as the sport continues to map its path forward into uncharted waters. Despite the CFP having already expanded three-fold from four teams to 12 just last season, stakeholders are in the process of determining a possible new format for 2026 and beyond.
Leaders from the SEC and Big Ten in particular are proponents of a 14- or 16-team playoff with multiple automatic bids divided among the conferences. Those two leagues could receive as many as four automatic bids apiece under the proposed models.
“Back in the years, I was never for expanding the playoff because I thought bowl games were really important to the history and tradition of college football, but now that we have expanded the playoff, now the bowl games have taken a less significant role,” Saban Tuesday said at a charity event. “So I think expanding the playoff and having as many teams involved as we can without playing too many games for the players — I think that’s a little bit of a concern — is probably a good thing.”
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SEC and Big Ten leaders favor a playoff in which their conferences receive four automatic bids while the ACC and Big 12 would receive two spots apiece. The proposal also rewards the highest-ranked Group of Five champion with a berth and Notre Dame with a bid if it ranks inside the top 14 or 16, depending on bracket size. At-large spots would round out the field.
When the College Football Playoff’s new media deal takes effect starting in 2026, the SEC and Big Ten gain sole power over the future of the playoff format, according to a memorandum signed by each of the FBS conferences. The two most powerful leagues generated that leverage when they threatened to break off from the College Football Playoff and start their own system, exclusive from the other leagues.
Coaches are split on the issue. Ohio State’s Ryan Day is a vocal advocate of playoff expansion and earlier this offseason made the case for automatic qualifiers. He said that programs will likely move away from scheduling marquee non-conference games, like his team’s upcoming battle with Texas, if they do not receive some level of guarantee in the postseason race.
Miami’s Mario Cristobal, however, echoed the concerns of many throughout college football with regard to the disparity between the SEC and Big Ten and the rest of the sport.
“Granting spots, that makes zero sense,” Cristobal said to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. “Football has never been about gifting. It’s about earning.”
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