As the College Football Playoff expansion conversation heats up, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has shared his thoughts on what the SEC and Big Ten are ultimately aiming for.
In a recent interview, Finebaum didn’t hold back on the direction college football’s postseason is headed, and whether the sport as a whole has much say in it.
According to Finebaum, the upcoming meetings between SEC and Big Ten athletic directors will be a defining moment for playoff expansion, as both conferences look to solidify their control. “Yeah, I mean, I think all this is going to come to a head here soon in New Orleans when the athletic directors of the SEC and the Big Ten meet,” Finebaum said via On3. “This is all a precursor to that.”
While some fans are excited about more playoff spots, Finebaum remains skeptical that the sport truly needs 14 or 16 teams in the field. “By the way, I personally don’t think we really need two or four more schools in the tournament. I mean, we’ve already had this conversation that there probably weren’t twelve good teams to go into this year,” he noted. Still, he acknowledged that television executives see expansion as a way to generate more revenue, and that may be enough to push it through.
One of the biggest sticking points is the SEC and Big Ten’s push for automatic qualifiers, which would heavily favor their own teams. Finebaum questioned whether this was the right way to structure the playoff.
“You know, I think the biggest issue is the automatic qualifiers. Is that really the way you should be running an event?” he asked.
Finebaum acknowledged the argument from SEC and Big Ten leaders that their conferences face tougher schedules, and therefore deserve more guaranteed bids. However, he warned that this kind of structured favoritism could permanently alter the sport.
“We’re just going to guarantee it. And then, if you’re the number five school in the SEC? Then we’re sorry. There’s only so far we can go but at least somebody is going to be protected for having played a much more difficult schedule,” he said.
Finebaum also pointed out just how much power the SEC and Big Ten wield over college football’s future.
“If you control the sport then you might as well get what you want. I mean, I understand that and I do think the SEC and the Big Ten have the power,” he said. “They literally could take this thing away from everyone else and I don’t think it would matter that much.”
At this point, Finebaum doesn’t believe other conferences have the leverage to stop what’s coming. “I think they’re going to go along with this proposal and see how it goes. But because I don’t think the other leagues have any choice,” he added.
That paints a grim picture for fans of the ACC, Big 12, and Group of Five programs, who may have no choice but to accept the SEC and Big Ten’s vision for the sport.