CHICAGO — The Big Ten Conference is prepared to eliminate its championship game if college football adopts a 24-team playoff model, according to Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. Speaking as the conference opened its AP News, Petitti described the move as a worthwhile sacrifice to secure his preferred postseason format.
Big Ten Willing to Sacrifice Championship Game for 24-Team Playoff
When we make this decision as a league – are we going to support 24 – that’s where you start the conversation,
Petitti said, according to AP News. Are you willing to give up your championship game to have the expanded playoff?
Petitti first raised this possibility in May as he intensified his push to double the current 12-team playoff. A 24-team College Football Playoff would mean the end of the Big Ten championship game, which has been held annually in Indianapolis since 2011. Yeah, I think it’s pretty much we won’t be playing a championship game if we go to 24,
he said.
Conference Standoff and Differing Postseason Visions
The push to expand the playoff to 24 teams has garnered support from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big 12, and Notre Dame. However, the Southeastern Conference remains a holdout, favoring a 16-team format until more information is available.
During the SEC’s media days event, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey cited risks to conference championship games as a major drawback of a 24-team format. The SEC was the first major conference to adopt a league championship game, holding its first in 1992.
Petitti also highlighted the competitive disadvantages teams face under the current setup after playing an extra postseason game. There’s a lot of conflicting incentives,
Petitti said, noting that a team that loses a conference championship game misses out on a bye and faces a difficult, rapid turnaround.
If the expanded CFP format is to take effect in time for the 2027 season, the Big Ten and the SEC must reach an agreement because they hold the bulk of control over the future structure, as reported by the ocregister.com.
Incentives and Unified Support Within the Big Ten
Advocating for a 24-team field rather than a 16-team expansion, Petitti argued that a larger bracket ensures more late-season games carry meaningful postseason implications. He pointed out that teams ranked between 16 and 24 would fight until the end to secure a spot or earn a home game.
While some SEC coaches have expressed intrigue regarding a 24-team playoff, Big Ten coaches appear fully unified behind Petitti’s vision. USC head coach Lincoln Riley noted that getting a large room of coaches to agree unanimously is rare, yet the conference is completely aligned on the proposal. Riley added that dropping the conference championship game would bring college football closer to the NFL model, where attention concentrates primarily on the national championship.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten used its media showcase to highlight its recent gridiron dominance, noting that Big Ten members Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024, and Indiana in 2025 captured the last three national championships.
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