A massive shift just hit college football, folks! ESPN and the College Football Playoff Management Committee dropped a bombshell Monday morning: a new five-year deal that expands the College Football Playoff field to a whopping 24 teams, starting next season. But if you think Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is jumping for joy about the future, you’d be wrong. He’s got his eyes laser-focused on Saturday’s road game against LSU, where his team is fighting to lock down a spot in *this year’s* 12-team CFP bracket.
“Bigger Fish to Fry” Before Big Changes
Sarkisian didn’t hold back when asked about the 24-team expansion. “I don’t have any comment on that right now, man; I’ve got bigger fish to fry,” he told the media Monday. You gotta respect that. The guy is in the middle of a grueling season, trying to navigate his squad through what they’re calling a “journey,” and he knows there are “people way more important than me” to figure out the long-term stuff. His immediate mission? Beat LSU and solidify that playoff spot right now. That’s the kind of focus you love to see in a coach, even if the rest of the college football world is buzzing about next year.
Sarkisian’s Real Playoff Dream: Marquee Matchups Early
While the specifics of the 24-team format are wild,four conference champs from the Power Four (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC), the highest-ranked Group of Five champ, and then the 19 highest-ranked remaining teams,Sarkisian’s biggest concern about expansion has always been clear: He wants more high-profile nonconference games. He’s not wrong! If expanding the playoff means those early September and October games actually *matter*, then he’s all for it. “We should be promoting more big games at the beginning of the season, and hopefully, that’s what the 24-team playoff does,” Sarkisian said. He really doesn’t want college football to be a “Hey, just wait till November, December, January. September and October look like exhibition games” kind of sport. That’s an opinion every fan can get behind.
The committee actually laid down some serious scheduling mandates too, requiring Power Four schools to play at least 10 qualifying regular-season games against other Power Four teams or Notre Dame. This is exactly what Sarkisian has been pushing for. He’s already walked the talk, scheduling tough home-and-home series with heavy hitters like Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. He believes that playing these kinds of brutal matchups early on “can harden any squad for the postseason.” Who wants to shy away from a challenge? Not Sarkisian. He wants to see more teams embrace this philosophy now that the expanded playoff lessens the negative sting of a single early-season loss. “All of us should want to go to South Bend, Indiana, (vs. Notre Dame) and be there for that game to see those two programs play,” he emphasized, clearly stoked about the idea. “There should be more of that, and people should not want to shy away from it strategically to position themselves for a playoff, because I think that’s what’s good for our sport. And now that we have a mechanism to allow more teams in, hopefully that encourages teams the same way teams were getting o.”
What’s Next For College Football’s Early Season?
So, the 24-team playoff is on the way for next season, and it’s going to reshape everything. But Sarkisian’s message is a direct challenge to the entire sport: Are we finally going to get those massive, meaningful nonconference games right out of the gate? Are we going to see teams step up and schedule real tests in September, making every week count? The stakes are high for the future of college football’s early slate, and if Sarkisian gets his wish, every Saturday from Week 1 onward is going to feel like a championship showdown. Let’s see if the rest of the league takes him up on it.
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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