Whether it’s 14 teams or 16 teams, this much seems clear: the College Football Playoff will be expanding after the upcoming season.
But as the Big Ten and SEC continue to shape the future of the format, Fox’s Joel Klatt is taking issue with what he views as the conferences’ “unneeded” greed.
On Tuesday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show, the Fox college football analyst broke down the latest reported proposal, which would see the SEC and Big Ten each receive four automatic qualifying bids regardless of whether the playoff expands to 14 or 16 games. Meanwhile, the ACC and Big 12 would each only get two automatic bids, with the remaining spots going to at-large selections.
In particular, Klatt called attention to the Big Ten and SEC’s resistance to the ACC and Big 12 each receiving three guaranteed playoff spots, noting the potential impact that having more at-large bids could bring.
“They don’t feel like they should be giving extra spots to the ACC and the Big 12,” Klatt said of the Big Ten and SEC. “They don’t feel like those leagues are tough enough. Quite frankly, I agree. They’re not deep enough to get the third automatic spot. So they would rather those two conferences have two automatic spots, which would free up those two more at-large berths at the end.
“OK, so what do those three at-large berths actually represent?… It’s a safety net, and it’s unneeded, it’s unwarranted, and it’s greedy. I do not like the 16-team model for this reason: it is not needed. We do not need to be redundant.”
@joelklattshow More from Joel Klatt on at-large bids in a 16-team CFP model. Sponsored by Hampton by Hilton #cfb #cfp #cfbonfox #collegefootball #bigten #sec #acc #big12 #notredame ♬ original sound – The Joel Klatt Show
The former Colorado quarterback proceeded to express his support for a 14-team playoff, with the SEC and Big Ten each receiving two automatic bids, the ACC and Big 12 both being granted two and the two remaining spots going to a Group of Five school and an at-large selection (which could be Notre Dame).
“If we go to an expanded playoff, 14 is all we need,” he said.
Klatt’s comments on the matter are notable for a variety of reasons.
For one, his status as Fox’s lead analyst effectively makes him the Big Ten’s lead analyst, so it’s certainly interesting to see him being so critical of the conference. And as he alluded to, he’s long been a critic of College Football Playoff expansion, instead favoring a format that places a heavier emphasis on the regular season.
To that end, it’s also worth noting that any additional inventory that’s created via expansion would remain the property of ESPN throughout the remainder of the network’s current contract with the playoff, which expires after the 2031-32 season. Then again, if Klatt is going to ever call a playoff matchup as he has expressed a strong desire to do, ESPN having so many games that it’s forced to lease more out might be his current best hope.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.