The Big Ten and ACC are in a major fight with the SEC this spring when it comes to the College Football Playoff, and Deion Sanders has his own thoughts on the matter.
The CFP expanded from four teams to 12 teams in 2024. While the expansion helped the sport, more teams want to join the party as bowl games become meaningless.
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Deion Sanders told Front Office Sports that he would love for the CFP to expand to 24 teams, allowing more Big 12 programs to make the tournament.
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“It would be nice (to expand), Sanders said. I would love 24, that would be tremendous. “If you would’ve had 24 teams a year ago, a multitude of teams from the Big 12 would have been participating in the Playoffs, and that would have been perfect for the Big 12, and that’s what we’re standing on.
“I would love that. I don’t know if we’re going to attain that, but I would love that number.”
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Sanders would stand to benefit from the expansion.
In 2024, Colorado finished No. 23 in the final CFP ranking, meaning it could have made the playoff with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter under the 24-team model.
For other conferences, the expansion is a gamble for revenue.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey favors keeping the conference championship and going to 16 teams. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips favor a 24-team model.
At the heart of the problem is that the conference championship games for the Power 4 leagues would have to go away with a 24-team model to allow for extra weeks of the CFP.
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The SEC has more to gain by keeping the conference championship game.
Per Sports Business Journal, the SEC generates $100 million in revenue from the contest, doubling what the Big Ten makes ($50 million) for its championship game. The Big 12 and ACC generate about $25 million each.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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