If ESPN wants the playoff to get to 14 or 16, they will absolutely want the max number of auto spots for ESPN and B1G.
Compared to the deal Fox has with B1G, ESPN basically has the SEC for a song! Overall SEC had better ratings than B1G, but ESPN pays SEC less than what Fox plays B1G!
The real danger is not to B1G/SEC, it’s to Big 12 and ACC. If the media players are going to walk away from anyone, I think it will be Big 12 and ACC. SEC/B1G may have to take a lower payout, but ESPN won’t walk away from them.
The risk that the Big 12 is facing is that its media deal is split between ESPN (2/3), and Fox (1/3). That’s a strength in that it gives the conference exposure on both major sports networks, but at the same time, it requires approval from both if the conference expands again, it also means that neither network is fully invested in the Big 12, so will find walking away easy.
Take the 2 auto bids for now. Don’t sign a long term contract, 5 years max. The Big 12 got 1 bid last year and was in danger of getting none and people are complaining…Big 12/ACC is not on the same level as the SEC/B1G just accept it…take the 2 bids now or the Big 12 may be stuck with getting only 1 moving forward
The danger is to accept your deal. You know why? Because if the big10 and sec can get away with this today they will cut our cojones off when they want to.
Inferior conferences? What is stopping a p2 school to realign themselves into a so called “weak ass conference”? The p2’s are killing college football by a slow death. It started with the SWC, then the PAC12…guess who is next? That is why they need to be stopped now otherwise why even have college sports?
You could argue that the NFL is less corrupt; at least in the NFL, your playoff position is decided solely on the field, not with rigged ESPN rankings.
Like a post above here , we barely got arizona st in it seems so 2 auto guarantees , I’m good with that. We’re fighting about the sec wanting 4 but they will get 3 or 4 then we have to hope we get our 1 right now so 2 autos in light of what happened this yr is good and Yormack a while ago was good with 2 auto bids.
As NIL revealed a number of cracks in the ESPN mantra of the SEC is so far ahead of everyone else, I would think it would be in their best interest to move as quickly as possible before the BIG or SEC don’t win a national championship. It will be difficult for a Big12 or ACC team to do so since it is not financially beneficial to the ESPN who owns the SEC and college football playoff. They own the ACC too but the bigger expenditure is SEC
Simply auto bid one conference champ from each league and at large how ever many bracket spots are left with a computer ranking. Colley or something. Let the committee seed.
They won’t do that though. The end result will be a split division and we’ll be left out. Maybe for the better honestly, I’m not really interested in an NFL model for college sports.
I think SEC/BIG will push for 16, and thats OK…4-4-2-2 plus ND, G5 and 2 open is fine. We get 2 autos, and in a great year we get one of the opens too. Everyone is happy.
I would watch Nebraska for that one. They are officially lost in the shuffle of the B1G, so if anyone (not saying they will) it will be them or OU that bolt to be a big fish.
Anyone that voluntarily signs on to be 2nd tier only deserves second tier. It is garbage to agree to 2 autobids when the B1G and SEC would get 4. If they are so good, then they should easily qualify for at-large slots.
Keep in mind that payouts are determined by teams in. Thus they get twice the base payouts and possibly more from later rounds having more chances. This is designed to keep the Big 12 and ACC as 2nd tier.
How is anyone here going to feel during 2026 if there is a 14 team playoff and an 11-1 UH is left out for a 9-3 A&M - everyone going to just say great job Ags, you are more deserving?
2026: Imagine a 12-0 ASU beats a 12-0 Utah in the Big 12 championship game in a close match. UH sits there at 11-1 with a 3 point loss only to Utah. Who is happy with that 4th SEC team at 9-3 or a B1G team like Northwestern getting in?
Equal autobids only should be the answer for at least the 4 main conferences.
Right on. Second tier? Have respect for all DIV I FBS programs. College football wants to go p2? Customers and I will stop watching.
Again if the p2 happen all g5’s (by then including BIG12 and acc) should sure them for $T’s. All DIV I FBS made college football what it is today.
SEC/B1G counter argument would be that since we have the all the blue bloods, our conference schedules are tougher. Particularly once the SEC goes to 9 conference game schedule, and when/if B1G-SEC get their scheduling agreement in place. They’ll say we play the toughest conference and non-conference schedules so a 9-3 team is more deserving than an 11-1 Big 12 or ACC team.
Not saying I agree with that argument, only that’s what they’ll use as an excuse to justify more autobids! I think ESPN, and maybe even Fox will back them up on that!
My position is that, if things continue this way, 2 guaranteed spots for the Big 12 is better than 1! They key would be to (over the life of the new contract) get teams deep into the play off, have a 3rd eligible team to get the at-large spot a few times, and ideally win it all 1/3 of the time. Then the conference will have a much stronger position to demand more equality from SEC/B1G.