Playoff Expansion Debate Heats Up
On The Pat McAfee Show, veteran analyst Kirk Herbstreit was asked about his stance on the College Football Playoff expansion, a topic that has dominated recent conversations among the sport’s power brokers.
Herbstreit made it clear that he does not view the expansion as a priority, but he warned that a larger bracket could erode the significance of traditional rivalry matchups such as Ohio State‑Michigan and Alabama‑Auburn, games that have long served as barometers of conference prestige.
His skepticism extends to the notion of automatic qualifier slots tied to conference performance, a proposal that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has championed as part of a 24‑team model. Petitti argues that a 24‑team field would reward conference success while still allowing the best teams to earn at‑large bids.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, meanwhile, has dug in his heels, insisting that a 16‑team format better preserves the regular season’s stakes and protects the integrity of existing conference championships.
The American Football Coaches Association, the ACC and the Big 12 have voiced support for the 24‑team approach, positioning themselves alongside Petitti in a coalition that could reshape postseason logistics. The divergence among the Power Five conferences sets the stage for a contentious discussion at the upcoming spring meetings on May 26.
Herbstreit’s position, while not aligned with any single conference, underscores a broader concern that expanding the playoff might incentivize teams to schedule weaker opponents to improve their résumé, a strategy that could dilute competitive balance.