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After leading Ohio State to the national championship in the first 12-team College Football Playoff last season, Ryan Day believes the Big Ten should get at least four automatic qualifying spots in future playoff formats.
As college football officials discuss changes to the CFP starting in 2026, there’s growing debate over how many automatic bids each conference should receive. Some conference leaders, including those in the SEC and Big 12, support a format that guarantees spots to the top five conference champions, with the remaining 11 teams chosen as at-large bids.
The Big Ten has not publicly backed a specific model, but behind the scenes, it has explored a format that would include four automatic spots for both the Big Ten and SEC, two each for the Big 12 and ACC, and one for the top-ranked Group of 5 champion. That proposal has faced resistance from both the Big 12 and ACC.
“We’re in the Big Ten, and we have 18 teams and some of the best programs in the country,” Day told ESPN. “I feel like we deserve at least four automatic qualifiers.”
Why Day Believes the Big Ten Has Earned More Bids
Day pointed to the Big Ten’s recent expansion, which added former Pac-12 powerhouses like Oregon and Washington. Both schools reached the four-team playoff during its run. Washington made the national championship game after the 2023 season and Oregon was the No. 1 overall seed in the 2024 playoff after winning the Big Ten. Oregon’s season ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to Ohio State at the Rose Bowl.
Day said the Big Ten’s expansion means the league includes teams that would likely have qualified for the playoff even before the merger. He believes the conference’s strength and size justify giving it four automatic spots in any future playoff system.
Stronger Schedules Could Suffer Without Guarantees
Day also believes a playoff format that doesn’t offer more automatic bids to stronger conferences could lead to weaker nonconference schedules.
He pointed out the scheduling imbalance between major leagues. The Big Ten and Big 12 play nine conference games each year, while the SEC and ACC play eight. That difference can impact how many tough games a team is willing to schedule.
In 2024, Ohio State made the playoff despite losing twice in the Big Ten and not facing a Power 4 team in nonconference play. Michigan also won the final four-team national title without facing a Power 4 opponent out of conference.
But in 2025, Ohio State will start the season with a high-profile home game against Texas, last year’s SEC runner-up. The Buckeyes beat Texas in the 2024 playoff semifinals at the Cotton Bowl.
“If you don’t have those automatic qualifiers, you’re less likely to play a game like we’re playing this year against Texas, because it just won’t make sense,” Day said. “If we do, then you’re more likely to do that, because we play nine conference games in the Big Ten. The SEC doesn’t. So it’s not equal.”
Roster Limits Could Be a Problem in a Longer Season
As the playoff expands, teams may play as many as 16 or 17 games in a season. Day said Ohio State benefited from its depth during last year’s playoff run, but warned that coming changes to roster rules could create challenges.
The upcoming House v. NCAA settlement is expected to limit college football rosters to 105 players. Day said that kind of restriction makes it harder to manage injuries during a long season.
“I’m concerned about 16 or 17 games with a 105-man roster,” he said. “With 120, it’s about maxed out. You have to stay healthy, and all it takes are a couple injuries during that long of a run. But in the NFL, you can hire somebody off of waivers. In college football, you can’t. I’m concerned about the length of the season with 105.”
Day believes the future of the College Football Playoff must include fair access for every league, but especially for the Big Ten — now one of the deepest and strongest conferences in the sport.
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This report used information from ESPN.
