Photo Credit: Getty Images
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark doubled down on his support for the 5+11 College Football Playoff format, saying the Big Ten and SEC have a big responsibility to do what’s best for the sport — not just for themselves.
Recently, there’s been growing support for a 16-team playoff model that would include the top five conference champions as automatic qualifiers, along with 11 at-large teams. Yormark introduced this idea when the Power 4 commissioners met in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Another playoff model has also been discussed. That version would give four automatic spots each to the Big Ten and SEC, two each to the ACC and Big 12, and one spot to the top Group of 5 team. The Big 12 and ACC are against that idea.
Starting in 2026, the Big Ten and SEC will have the most power when it comes to shaping the future of the College Football Playoff. This was agreed to last year as part of a new six-year deal for the playoff. Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua and other FBS commissioners were part of that agreement.
“I think there’s real momentum for 5-11,” Yormark said after the Big 12 spring meetings. “Certainly, the public is voting yes for it, which I think is critically important. Yes, the Big Ten, the SEC are leading the discussions, but with leading those discussions, they have a great responsibility that goes with it, to do what’s right for college football and not to do anything that just benefits two conferences.
Yormark believes the process will work itself out. “I have a lot of faith in the process, and I think we’ll land in the right place, he said.”
Big 12 Wants to Earn It
Yormark was asked why the Big 12 would be against a model that guarantees his conference two playoff spots.
“In talking to our ADs and coaches, we want to earn it on the field,” Yormark said. “The 5-11 might not be ideal for the conference, but it’s good for college football, and it’s what’s fair. We don’t want any gimmes. We want to earn it on the field. I feel very comfortable with that, and I feel the same way, and I’ve been very outspoken about it.”
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, whose team made the playoff last season, agreed.
“Every year is a new year,” Dillingham said. You never know who’s going to be good in college football, especially with the volatility with the portal. So anything that creates an open platform for teams like our guys last year to prove that they do belong, I’m in support of.”
“Our coaches and our league want just the best teams, whoever those best teams are in college football that year, let’s have those best teams go and compete for a championship
TCU head coach Sonny Dykes also spoke out against giving multiple automatic bids to certain conferences.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Dykes said. “All anybody wants is to look up at the end of the year and see the best teams competing for a national championship. “I don’t think that guaranteed bids does. That’s not how it works in pro football; that’s not how it works in any other sport. The AFC West gets four bids, and the NFC Central only two — that stuff doesn’t make any sense. It’s not good for the sport. I don’t think it’s good for the fans. It’s just not good for the game.”
Decision Coming Later This Year
The College Football Playoff leadership group has until December to make a final decision on the format. The commissioners and Bevacqua are scheduled to meet again on June 18 in Asheville, North Carolina.
“We have some time now to work through the process,” Yormark said. “It is a process, but I do anticipate something getting done sooner than later.”
This marks the second time in a week that Yormark has called for doing what’s best for the entire sport. After the CFP commissioners agreed to use straight seeding for the 2025 playoff, Yormark said he hopes that mindset continues.
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips also talked about his responsibility to the game.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey didn’t seem happy with those kinds of comments. Speaking earlier this week at the SEC spring meetings, Sankey said, “I don’t need lectures from others about ‘good of the game.’ I don’t lecture others about good of the game.”
When asked about Sankey’s response, Yormark replied, “I agreed with Greg’s follow-up statement that I’d be entertained by it, and I was. We all have thick skin here. The neat thing about our relationship amongst the commissioners is we’re going to battle. That’s part of life. We’re going to agree to disagree. We’re kind of in that mode right now, but I have a lot of respect for my peers, and I know they have a lot of respect for me and Jim, and we’ll end up in the right place.”
More must-reads:
George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb Building Cowboys Chemistry
Williams Responds to Book Claims, Says He Loves Being a Bear
This report used information from ESPN.
