College Football Playoff leadership met this week in Las Colinas, Texas, for their annual spring meetings, and discussed several pertinent topics when it comes to the future of college football.
Among the topics was the formats under consideration, as the current 12-team model is likely to see some significant changes going forward, and in all likelihood, changes that aren’t going to make everybody happy.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported earlier in the week that no decisions were expected to be made this week, and on Thursday, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark confirmed those expectations with his comments after the meetings had commenced.
“No decisions,” Yormark said, according to Dinich. “The process continues.”
Remember, the SEC and Big Ten hold the majority of control over the format going forward, following the most recent contract negotiations, so names like Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti will carry significantly more gravity in the conversations ahead.
The meetings made headlines earlier this week when Dinich reported that television ratings could become a deciding factor in how automatic bids are determined in future playoff discussions.
“The current 12-team model and another 14-team model that includes guaranteed spots for the Big Ten (four), SEC (four), ACC (two), Big 12 (two), Group of 5 (one) and one at-large spot (Notre Dame if it’s ranked high enough) have gained the most publicity, but multiple sources have indicated that some commissioners would like the CFP to present other options this week,” Dinich wrote. “It’s also possible other league leaders come to the table with ideas, as there is both private and public resistance to the idea of leagues having guaranteed spots to the postseason before the games are played.”
“One possibility, which could be viewed as a compromise, is having conferences earn automatic bids through their play each season. A model in which each Power 4 league can earn guaranteed spots through a combination of its teams’ overall records — and maybe even TV ratings, according to a source — could be presented. The highest-ranked conferences would earn the most automatic bids.”
