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Report: B1G commissioner Jim Delany pushing to expand CFB Playoff
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After the B1G has been left out of the College Football Playoff for the past two seasons, the conference’s commissioner believes it’s time for a change in the system.
Tuesday, Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reported that B1G commissioner Jim Delany is in favor of expanding the four-team field to an eight-team system, allowing more teams to compete for college football’s most prized possession.
Each of the last two seasons, the B1G has been left out of the College Football Playoff, and each of the last three years, the conference champion has been denied entrance to the exclusive field. Though only in its fifth season of operation, Delany thinks it’s time for change.
“The Big Ten would be happy to discuss structure issues with colleagues,” Delany told The Athletic. “It’s probably a good idea.”
Discussions of an expanded field have been surfacing since the inauguration of the College Football Playoff. But the conversation has gained steady traction over the last few weeks, and it appears that more and more powerful voices are in favor of making some tweaks to the system.
Delany’s comments come just shortly after Big XII commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez talked about the necessity of an expanded playoff field.
Over the last few weeks, there has been plenty of conflicting information about the possibility of a new format. FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt has said that expansion could come within the next five years. Stadium’s Brett McMurphy reported that it’s not much of a possibility at the moment.
The more these college football powers start to discuss an expanded field, the more likely it will become a reality.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB