Big Ten's Petitti: No support for SEC's at-large bid preference for College Football Playoff
At the league's football media days, Tony Petitti said any change that adds at-large bids and increases the discretion and role of a selection committee — a format the SEC and others have shown a preference for — 'will have a difficult time getting support of the Big Ten.'
Advertisement
Petitti also bolstered the idea of a weekend's worth of play-in games for what — under one of the best-known proposals — would be four automatic bids for the Big Ten and SEC in a 16-team playoff, even though the games could put the Big Ten's top-seeded teams in jeopardy of being shut out of the CFP. The playoff expanded to 12 teams last season.
'There are 18 members in the Big Ten, you have 17 possible opponents and you play nine,' Petitti said. 'There's a lot of discrepancy. Let alone making comparisons across leagues, there's a lot of issues about how you compare teams inside the Big Ten. ... Where we came down is we were willing to take that risk.'
Though there is a Dec. 1 deadline for expanding the playoff for 2026, Petitti said he wouldn't put any deadline on it, echoing a sentiment SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey voiced earlier this month when he said the 12-team format could stay in place until the two leagues agree on something new.
Petitti said recent meetings between Big Ten and SEC athletic directors have produced good results and he expects another such summit would do the same.
Advertisement
'The goal would be to bring people back together, have a conversation about what we think works, then kind of go from there,' he said.
The Big Ten and SEC will ultimately decide the new format, with input from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences, along with Notre Dame and the six smaller conferences who are part of the system.
Also on Tuesday, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said his preference was one with five automatic bids and the rest at-large.
'Fairness and access should also be part of the equation,' Phillips said, while backing the work of the selection committee that would have a bigger role with 11 at-large selections to sort through.
Advertisement
___
AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard contributed.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Intriguing Blackhawks Goalie Could Reach New Heights
Earlier this week, the Chicago Blackhawks re-signed goaltender Arvid Soderblom to a two-year, $5.5 million contract. The Blackhawks and Soderblom were scheduled for arbitration, but they have now avoided that by getting this new contract done.
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tennessee Titans' Cam Ward, 'We gotta be ready to play from day 1'
Throughout the offseason and now continuing into training camp, it has become clear that Cam Ward is the future of the Tennessee Titans. Known for his leadership qualities and work ethic on top of his athletic prowess, Ward has been everything and more than what the Tennessee Titans expected when they selected him with the first overall pick in April. Ward has come into Nashville and won over both the locker room and the organization with his infectious attitude. This isn't just coming from the local media or those that cover the Titans on a daily basis; it has become clear to national NFL insiders as well, with the latest being Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network. As Jeremiah points out, Ward gets into the facility early, before the coaching staff. While this isn't anything new, as it was reported back in June during minicamp, some new details on how this film will work did come out during an interview with Ward for the network. Ward is not alone in his extra work at 5:30. He is usually joined by a group of receivers led by Calvin Ridley, which includes Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, and Xavier Restrepo, in an attempt to play his best football and have the offense on track early in the season. With Ward and his group of young receivers putting in the extra work, it is easy to see why they have been one of the more exciting units to watch early in training camp. The interview also highlights the increased leadership role Ridley is assuming this offseason, a trend that has been emerging more frequently during player interviews. That dedication bodes well for the Titans' offense, which is looking to surprise teams in 2025. This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans' Cam Ward, 'We gotta be ready to play from day 1'
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Minkah Fitzpatrick gets a $16.245 million signing bonus in his restructured Dolphins deal
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Minkah Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins agreed Sunday to a restructured contract that adds a $16.245 million signing bonus to the All-Pro safety's deal. Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the restructured deal, which was first reported by ESPN. The Dolphins acquired Fitzpatrick in a trade with the Steelers last month that sent All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh. Fitzpatrick, who became one of the top safeties in the NFL with the Steelers, returned to the team that drafted him 11th overall in 2018 and traded him away at his request in 2019. There previously was no guaranteed money left on Fitzpatrick's contract that runs through 2026. No years were added, but Rosenhaus said they're seeking a multiyear extension. The Dolphins cleared $11 million in cap space in the restructured deal by converting part of Fitzpatrick's salary to a bonus, according to NFL Network. Fitzpatrick had $2 million of his 2026 salary moved up to this coming season. He is now due $17.5 million in 2025 and $15.6 million in 2026. Fitzpatrick had signed a four-year extension with the Steelers in 2022 that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL at the time and gave him $36 million in guarantees. ___ AP NFL: Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
