Should ACC support 14-team playoff proposal now?

Yahoo

04-03-2025

Yahoo Sports national columnist Dan Wetzel, senior college sports reporter Ross Dellenger and Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde explain why the ACC may want to reverse course on it's initial rejection of an expanded playoff with more guarantees for SEC, Big Ten teams. Hear the full conversation on the 'College Football Enquirer' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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If you are the ACC, let me ask this one.
They are opposed to the 14 team playoff.
It's set up where the SEC and the Big 10 start the season with 4 automatic bids.
It basically codifies that they are the weaker league, but it does give you Two spots.
Guaranteed in a playoff.
You go to the SEC.
And you're gonna find out how hard it is.
Do you use reverse course on the playoff and say we're gonna take it and hope.
That the path to the playoff with the addition, somehow rekindles the romance between FSU and Clemson and the ACC.
Pat, what do you think?
Maybe, uh, you know, it's.
It's a tough one to walk back.
I would like to see people stand up for what's best as a whole for college football.
But those things are fungible and tend to take a backseat to what's best for the ACC.
And that might be an easier deal for Jim Phillips to sell at this point.
While there is growing disinterest in the Big 12 and in the ACC in the format that the SEC and Big 10 are exploring this 44221 deal.
Those two leagues are mainly um maybe not in support of it fully because of just the perception, um, just starting the season in the hole, you know, two spots, but they actually, they know, and folks in the Big 12, I think know too that You know, guaranteed yourself too is not bad.
Um, I think it, it might be good for, uh, even some leagues, but it's just the thought of starting the season.
Two spots in the hole.
The path to the playoff and thus the path to the success initiative in the ACC, which again is a lot of money.
If you make it to the ACC team makes it to the championship game, the path to there is, is easier.
Um, you know, so if you can consistently make the playoff, and that'll probably guarantee you, you know, 10 to 12 million um in success initiative, and then if you get the top spot in the TV viewership, The over the, the top couple spots and you get an extra 15 million.
I mean, boom, it's 2025 million right there.
And um and that kind of helps you close the gap um a little bit with the SEC and the, and the big 0.
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