Trending Now - Big Ten's Petitti Demands Consensus on 24-team Playoff Format
WHO:
Fox News - Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti
The New York Times - UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond
The New York Times - SEC commissioner Greg Sankey
The New York Times - Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks
The New York Times - Media analyst John Kosner
Newsweek - Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti
WHAT:
The New York Times - Petitti stated that the SEC’s conference championship game alone is worth $100 million, which it retains for itself, highlighting the financial implications of the playoff format changes.
The New York Times - Petitti mentioned that the Big Ten's primary rights holder, Fox Sports, strongly favors a 24-team playoff format, with CEO Eric Shanks asserting, “I don’t see any reason why the CFP can’t be 24 teams.”
The New York Times - The Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, and Notre Dame are publicly supporting the 24-team format without having finalized revenue models for the expansion.
Fox News - The Big Ten conference demands a 24-team college football playoff format or the current 12-team format will remain.
The New York Times - Petitti stated there is a “deep commitment to 24 (teams)” within the Big Ten.
The New York Times - Petitti claimed that the gate receipts from 12 new on-campus games would account for at least $80 million of the estimated $200-$250 million in annual combined value lost from canceled conference championship games.
The New York Times - ESPN wants the playoff format to remain at 12 or 14 teams, but no more than 16.
The New York Times - Fox Sports strongly favors a 24-team playoff format.
Newsweek - Petitti does not believe a 16-team playoff model would work for economic reasons.
WHERE:
The New York Times - The discussions are taking place within the context of college football conferences, including the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, and Notre Dame.
WHEN:
The New York Times - The 76-team NCAA Tournament field became official in 2026.
WHY:
The New York Times - Petitti emphasized the need for conferences to figure out how to replace the estimated $200-$250 million in annual combined value lost from canceled conference championship games.
The New York Times - Petitti believes that a 16-team playoff does not work economically.
The New York Times - The Big Ten and other conferences support the 24-team format to secure more berths for their schools.
HOW:
The New York Times - Media consultants for the College Football Playoff (CFP) have only recently begun modeling TV projections to assess the financial implications of the playoff expansion.
The New York Times - The Big Ten is modeling TV projections to assess the financial implications of the playoff expansion.
(UPDATED May 21, 2026 04:20 UTC)
The Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, and Notre Dame are publicly backing a proposed 24-team playoff format, although they have yet to finalize revenue models for this expansion. Petitti pointed out that the SEC’s conference championship game alone is valued at $100 million, underscoring the financial stakes involved in these playoff format changes. Meanwhile, media consultants for the College Football Playoff have just started modeling TV projections to evaluate the financial impact of this potential expansion.
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(UPDATED May 20, 2026 17:57 UTC)
The Big Ten conference is pushing for a 24-team college football playoff format, insisting that the current 12-team setup will remain if their demands are not met. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti expressed a strong commitment to this expansion, highlighting that the gate receipts from twelve new on-campus games could recover a significant portion of the estimated $200 to $250 million in annual losses from canceled championship games. Meanwhile, while ESPN prefers to keep the playoff format at a maximum of 16 teams, Fox Sports is firmly in favor of the 24-team model, as discussions continue among major college football conferences.