Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has finally come out swinging against the SEC and Big Ten’s push for automatic qualifiers in the College Football Playoff.
Speaking at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, Yormark made it clear that he doesn’t want an “artificial champion” and that he believes teams should earn their spot in the expanded CFP rather than be handed a berth.
“Recently, in Dallas, we met as a management committee and we’ve been vetting out lots of different possibilities,” Yormark said. “The emphasis of that particular meeting was really about looking back at this season, which was incredible. ESPN did a fabulous job. I think they captured everything we were looking for with fan engagement, excitement, with the new 12-team format.”
He’s absolutely right that college football should focus on competition rather than predetermined outcomes. The proposal on the table suggests that four SEC teams and four Big Ten teams would automatically qualify, with just two spots reserved for both the Big 12 and ACC.
That’s a clear power play from the two wealthiest conferences, and Yormark’s resistance to it makes sense. But there’s just one problem—where was this energy last year?
When the SEC and Big Ten hijacked the expansion process in 2024, Yormark wasn’t this vocal — at least in coming out against it. The two conferences gained unilateral control over the new CFP format, and at the time, the conversation revolved around three automatic qualifiers for the SEC and Big Ten—now, that number has jumped to four.
This isn’t a new development; it’s an escalation of the same takeover that was happening last year. Honestly, it may not have mattered. The SEC and Big Ten might have left the other conferences to die if they didn't meet their demands, but you could've at least made it a PR nightmare for them.
The idea of a 16-team playoff with essentially half the spots guaranteed for two conferences makes a mockery of the sport’s competitive balance.
“I like the 12-team format. I love it,” Yormark said. “Whether we go to 14 or expand the field, I don’t know, and obviously it’ll be a decision amongst the management committee. As it relates to the AQs, and I’ve been on the record saying this, I don’t want an artificial championship.”
He’s right to take this stance, but at this point, the SEC and Big Ten are operating from a position of overwhelming strength, and nothing is going to change based on Yormark's opinion now.
The SEC and Big Ten will continue to consolidate power, and the rest of college football will have to live with the consequences. If the Big 12 and ACC wanted a real seat at the table, they should have fought harder last year—because now, the cards have already been put on the table.
Say what you want to now, but it's too little, too late.