The SEC and Big Ten are both building momentum to expand the College Football Playoff, per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
The playoff is currently a 12-team field. There is a push to make the field 14 or 16 teams in the future.
The inaugural 12-team playoff followed the 2024 regular season.
The SEC and Big Ten conferences hold control of the format of the playoff, starting in 2026. Leaders from both conferences have been spending the last few weeks creating a format idea.
SEC and Big Ten athletic directors will meet Wednesday in New Orleans for the second time in the last five months, per Dellenger.
“The 14- or 16-team model would grant four automatic qualifiers each to the SEC and Big Ten; two each to the ACC and Big 12; and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. It includes one or three at-large spots, one of those intended for Notre Dame if it finishes ranked inside the top 14 — a guarantee specifically designated for the Irish that is part of the CFP memorandum,” Dellenger wrote.
Alabama missed the 12-team playoff as the first team out under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer.
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Justin Smith is the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via @Jdsmith31Smith
