Why 16 Teams Matter
Former Notre Dame quarterback Steve Beuerlein has voiced a clear preference for a 16‑team College Football Playoff, insisting that the current number of teams already provides a fair and competitive postseason. He acknowledges the appeal of a 24‑team format but argues that expanding the field would dilute the regular season’s significance and the playoff’s prestige.
Beuerlein’s stance coincides with a shift in leadership at Notre Dame. Athletic director Pete Bevacqua, who once endorsed a 16‑team model, has now thrown his support behind the 24‑team proposal, a move that followed Beuerlein’s public remarks.
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti has emerged as a chief architect of the 24‑team push, rallying several conferences around the idea that a larger tournament would generate additional revenue and broaden fan engagement.
Having worked with Petitti during his CBS tenure, Beuerlein says he respects the commissioner’s strategic calculations and understands the incentives driving the conference realignment, even as he maintains that 16 teams are adequate.
The debate underscores a clash between preserving the playoff’s exclusivity and responding to the economic and competitive pressures that shape modern college football.