Big 12 Commish Bob Bowlsby Disappointed With No Playoff Expansion
Jan 10, 2022, 1:13 PM
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby admits the 2022 spring meetings have some "weirdness" to them. (Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsy was part of the College Football Playoff working group that proposed a 12-team playoff back in June. That proposal was universally praised by people around college football and most importantly, fans.
Who will take this trophy home tomorrow night? pic.twitter.com/3RYMHU30vI
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 9, 2022
Well, it took one seismic wave of conference realignment and seven months to pass for the 12-team playoff to suddenly appear dead in the water.
On Monday, the morning of the National Championship Game, the 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick met in Indianapolis and presented the original 12-playoff proposal to the College Football Playoff presidents and there was no unanimous decision.
Meaning, that the four-team playoff will remain intact through the remainder of the current TV contract to 2026.
Bowlsby was not pleased with the outcome. He told assembled media in Indianapolis that he was “disappointed” that the conferences can’t come to an agreement for a new 12-team model.
No decision reached today on expanding playoff. They will continue to meet & discuss. Big 12 commish Bob Bowlsby said he’s “disappointed” commissioners can’t come to an agreement on a new 12-team playoff
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) January 10, 2022
One of the big hangups to the 12-team Playoff is automatic qualifiers. The original proposal stated that the “six highest-ranked conference champions” would receive automatic bids. That did not specify the Autonomous Conferences or Group of Five, just the six highest-ranked conference champions. Some of the Power Five leagues have not been fond of that.
The newly formed Alliance made up of the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 Conferences has been pushing to have all Power Five league champions receive automatic bids into the 12-team field.
Another hang-up has been the television rights. ESPN currently has exclusive television rights to the Playoff. The Big Ten, who is heavily connected to FOX, would like to see additional television partners involved with the Playoff.
In order for the current Playoff contract that runs through 2026 to be approved, it has to be a unanimous decision. According to Bowlsby, the proposal “didn’t even get close.”
Bob Bowlsby on the Playoff not expanding: “We didn’t even get close. And “we have a lot of work to do.” And “I am disappointed.” And “We have entrenched issues.”
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 10, 2022
The likelihood of the Playoff bumping up to 12 teams in this current television deal appears unlikely after this move. With the focus now shifting to creating a new format after this agreement concludes in 2026.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, this decision to not expand the Playoff to 12 within this current contract means that the leaders of colleges are passing on $450 million of additional revenue that would have been generated in 2024 and 2025.
What happened with CFP meetings today was expected, but the reality is…
College leaders, for now, passed on $450M in additional revenue & 16 extra playoff spots that would have been generated from a 12-team playoff in 2024-2025.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 10, 2022
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
