College football is facing several hot-button issues as it transitions into what is effectively a professional league. Among those is the expansion of the College Football Playoff.
After featuring four teams from its inception in 2014 until 2023, the CFP has featured 12 teams since 2024. Another expansion of the playoff field seems imminent, but it will remain at 12 until the powers that be, namely the SEC and Big Ten, can agree on a new format. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has lobbied for expansion to 24 or 28 teams, while the SEC’s Greg Sankey has taken a more cautious approach toward increasing the field.
With the future of the CFP in question, Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is casting doubt on a planned home-and-home series between his program and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
“Honestly, truthfully, I would love to keep Notre Dame on our schedule,” Sarkisian said in a guest spot on The Triple Option podcast.
“…But I’m not going to do it at the expense of my first responsibility, and that’s to the University of Texas of fielding a great team and putting a team into a position to go win a championship, because that’s my responsibility as the head coach here.”
A tough out-of-conference loss could be the difference between making the cut and watching from home if the playoff remains at 12 teams, and Sarkisian is skeptical the marquee matchups are worth the risk after finishing 13th in the final CFP rankings last season.
“What’s going to happen to the CFP? That’s the hard part,” Sarkisian said. “Is it going to expand? Are we going to go to 16? Are we going to go to 24? And then, is that maybe going to entice us back into keeping those nonconference games? Because right now, it’s a little bit of a flux.”
Sarkisisian is far from the first coach to discuss expansion in the context of nonconference scheduling. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), a group representing many prominent college football coaches, voted in the spring to support a 24-team playoff format. Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, however, thinks that the support from coaches comes not from a desire to improve the sport, but rather so that coaches will have an easier shot at making the final field and increased job security.
As things stand, the Irish are set to make the trip to Austin in 2028, with the Longhorns traveling to South Bend the following year. However, things might hinge on the temperature of Sarkisian’s seat.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.