NewzFILE - Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during an news conference at the Big Ten Conference NCAA college football media days at Lucas Oil Stadium, July 26, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File) FILE - Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during an news conference at the Big Ten Conference NCAA college football media days at Lucas Oil Stadium, July 26, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File) CHICAGO (AP) — The Big Ten Conference would do away with its championship game if college football adopts a 24-team playoff.
Commissioner Tony Petitti says that’s a worthwhile sacrifice to get his preferred postseason format. “When we make this decision as a league – are we going to support 24 – that’s where you start the conversation,” Petitti said Tuesday as the Big Ten opened its football media days. “Are you willing to give up your championship game to have the expanded playoff?” Pettiti mentioned this possibility back in May as he stepped up his push to double the 12-team playoff.
He conceded a 24-team College Football Playoff would mean no Big Ten championship game, which has been held annually in Indianapolis since 2011. “Yeah, I think it’s pretty much we won’t be playing a championship game if we go to 24,” he said. The bid to expand the playoff to 24 teams also has the support of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 and Notre Dame.
The Southeastern Conference remains a holdout. During the SEC’s media days event last week, commissioner Greg Sankey cited the risk to conference championship games as one potential drawback of a 24-team format. The SEC was the first major conference to adopt a league championship game and held its first one in 1992.
Petitti noted the potential drawbacks a team would face when it enters the playoff after competing in a championship game. “There’s a lot of conflicting incentives,” Petitti said. “It’s still very powerful to win a Big Ten championship, and teams play hard.
But you’re talking about a pretty tough journey to go all the way through and where you are playing next, and what happens if a team loses that game, they don’t get a bye, and they have to go play relatively quickly.” Petitti also outlined his reasons for wanting a 24-team playoff rather than merely expanding to 16. He said it would assure that more late-season games carrie… CHICAGO (AP) — The Big Ten Conference would do away with its championship game if college football adopts a 24-team playoff.Commissioner Tony Petitti says that’s a worthwhile sacrifice to get his preferred postseason format.“When we make this decision as a league – are we going to support 24 – that’s where you start the conversation,” Petitti said Tuesday as the Big Ten opened its football media days.
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