The College Football Playoff is barreling toward a massive expansion to 24 teams in 2027, but forget the extra games for a second. The real story here is a looming shake-up that could fundamentally alter the entire sport. College athletics has a wild habit of missing the obvious problems ahead, and this 24-team playoff is the latest head-scratcher. A lot of schools that cheered this on are going to regret it, because this isn’t just about the playoff anymore; it’s about conferences falling apart.
The “Notre Dame Model” That Could Triple Revenue for Big Brands
Notre Dame, the perennial independent, is suddenly sitting on the best setup in all of football. They’re practically guaranteed a playoff spot, they get to schedule whoever they want, and they maximize their own media value without sharing a dime. It’s a sweet deal, and it’s looking like a blueprint for other big-time programs. Why wouldn’t Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State look at that and think, “Wait, why are we still in the Big Ten?” That’s the future, folks: independence.
The 18-team Big Ten, as described by Dan Wetzel, is a “bloated, distant” beast where winning it now carries “little intrinsic or competitive value” for its biggest brands. If those three powerhouses could form their own scheduling agreement, they could increase their media revenue a mind-blowing two to three times over. Imagine the control: no sharing money, no forced TV times, eight or even nine home games, and picking their own schedules. Staying in the Big Ten might soon make little, if any, economic sense for them. Loyalty is cool and all, but we all know how athletic departments usually settle things when millions are on the line.
The Big Risk for Everyone Else in the “Participation Playoff”
While the promise of more teams in the playoff sounds great for everyone, there’s a huge, quiet concern bubbling up: what if these powerhouse programs just bail on their conferences altogether? If the expanded playoff shifts the money and competitive incentives this dramatically, some of the sport’s biggest names might decide conference membership just isn’t worth the cost anymore.
Notre Dame’s independent status gives programs like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State a clear path to follow. They could negotiate their own schedules and media deals, totally bypassing traditional conference obligations. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, or any player on those teams, could soon be playing in a whole new landscape. And what about all those middle and lower-tier schools, even in the big conferences, that rooted for this 24-team playoff because they figured an 8-4 record would get them into the “participation playoff”? They’re staring down some serious risk. There will come a day when they don’t get a slice of the Ohio State-Michigan windfall; only Ohio State and Michigan will. It might not happen tomorrow, but a 24-team playoff absolutely makes that future closer than ever before. Is college football about to tear itself apart for the sake of more playoff games?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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