The Big Ten will have three teams representing its conference in the 2025-2026 College Football Playoff bracket, the second-most of any league behind the SEC. The conference was apparently not satisfied with that number and attempted to push for more with a 24-team expansion proposal.
The Big Ten not only wanted more teams in the CFP, but it also suggested creating its own play-in tournament, according to ESPN's Dan Wetzel. The conference purportedly suggested a six-team in-conference play-in tournament on top of the 24-team bracket, which Wetzel denounced.
“The 24 is a horrible plan,” Wetzel said on ‘The Dan Patrick Show.' “It's not even 24. What the Big Ten wants to do is they take their four bids, and they want to play three games on the conference championship weekend. One and two would still play — so this year, Indiana and Ohio State still play for the conference title. Then three would play six, and four would play five. So you can call it a 24-team playoff, but once you start having play-in rounds, that's the playoff also. So it quickly becomes like a 32-team playoff.”
The Big Ten's proposal, according to Wetzel, would have third-place Oregon facing sixth-place Iowa, and fourth-place USC facing fifth-place Michigan. The winners of those consolation matchups would also receive College Football Playoff bids.
The current 12-team format includes Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon, with the Hoosiers and Buckeyes earning first-round byes. If a 24-team bracket were in effect, it would already include USC, Michigan and Iowa.
The Big Ten is not the only conference pushing for a College Football Playoff expansion. What initially began as a four-team tournament has since expanded to 12 teams, with annual suggestions for further growth.
