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CHICAGO — After years of only two teams competing for an FBS national championship, the College Football Playoff debuted in the 2014-15 season with a four-team field.
That format lasted for 10 seasons. Then in 2024, it increased to 12 teams.
But expansion might not stop. There is the potential for the bracket to include 24 teams sometime in the future.
What does Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz think about that possibility?
“My attitude is, if we're going to go to two to four, why not go bigger?” Ferentz said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “Whether you want to debate 16 or 24, I'm in favor of 24 certainly. But the other part of the story is, I think our focus needs to be on some other issues that probably are bigger to college football right now than the playoff discussion. But totally in favor of 24, to answer the question. I think it benefits everybody, not just a school like ours.”
More: Why 3-star offensive lineman James Barnett committed to Iowa football
Big Ten programs have been crowned national champions in each of the last three seasons. Michigan passed the torch to Ohio State, which then passed it to Indiana, the most recent champion.
The College Football Playoff has existed for more than a decade, mostly with four teams. But even after increasing to 12 teams, Iowa has never made an appearance in the CFP.
An expanded field would benefit a program like Iowa, which is consistently in the neighborhood of the top 25, but not among college football’s elites. Qualifying for a four-team playoff would require a flawless season — or close to it. Making a 12-team field is more feasible, but would still require a superb season.
Needless to say, making a 24-team playoff would be the most realistic path for Iowa to earn a berth.
More: How Iowa football's Addison Ostrenga rallied from season-ending setback
Just in the last few years, Iowa would've been good enough to be in the discussion for a 24-team playoff on multiple occasions. The Hawkeyes would've had a chance to make the field in 2025. They would’ve very likely been in the field in 2023, despite disastrous quarterback play. They would’ve probably also made the field in 2021, when they made the Big Ten Championship game.
So a 24-team bracket would not only open the door for Iowa to finally earn a berth to the playoff, but also potentially make it on a relatively regular basis.
Iowa Director of Athletics Beth Goetz endorses the 24-team field, as well.
“I think, one, it probably gives us a few more options to think about in your non-conference scheduling and how that looks from year to year,” Goetz said. “But the other piece, if you look back historically about how many teams in our conference — and Iowa in particular — would be in the conversation. I know there’s been some reporting about how many times we would’ve been in that 24 (team field). But even more importantly, I think if you start to look at teams that might be sitting at seven, eight, nine, they’re in play for those spots, depending how things go, long into the season, which I think makes it exciting for fanbases.”
The 24-team playoff would keep more teams in the mix for spots deeper into the season. For instance, after back-to-back losses to Oregon and USC in November last season, Iowa’s CFP hopes were entirely squashed. The Hawkeyes played the final two games of the regular season without any major postseason implications, other than which bowl they would play in.
But if it were a 24-team playoff, Iowa would’ve still been alive to sneak into the field.
A larger CFP also gives Iowa more breathing room to weather an early-season loss. For instance, Iowa has lost to Iowa State in September for each of the last two years, quickly putting them behind the eight ball to make the 12-team College Football Playoff. Because of how difficult the Big Ten is, a loss in the non-conference makes Iowa's path to the CFP narrow.
But if the CFP were 24 teams, a September loss wouldn’t be as devastating to the Hawkeyes' postseason hopes.
More: Inside the brilliant football mind of Iowa defensive back Zach Lutmer
“The idea is, number one, keeping as many teams in contention for as long as possible,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. “Play as many meaningful games for as long as you can. Secondly, the format creates all kinds of incentives. If you think about a 24-team playoff, right, a bunch of teams are going to be ranked between 16 and 24 that are just trying to make sure they're in. You're going to have teams playing until the very end to see if they're in. You're going to have teams playing to see if they can get a home game."
Petitti also added: "It's a big advantage to be one of the eight teams that get a bye. It's a big advantage to be seeded one and two. You have the best path to the semifinal. It's a lot different to go on the road in the first-round game than it is to host one in your stadium. So, I think we've got a lot of different incentives all across the format that keep you playing hard until the very end."
If the CFP expands to 24-teams, the Big Ten Championship game would likely cease to exist.
“We think overall, that if we expand the playoff and have the access we need, we'd be willing to make that trade,” Petitti said. “As great as our championship game is — it's been wildly successful, we've had incredible games the last couple of seasons — but I still think we're willing to do that because we believe that access (to the CFP) is still the most important thing.”
The FCS already includes 24 teams in its playoff. If the FBS also moves to that figure, it would change the college football landscape and make a berth for the Hawkeyes much more realistic.
Still, if it does expand, Ferentz doesn’t expect it to change how the Hawkeyes operate.
“Not at all,” Ferentz told the Register in May. “I don’t know why it would. One thing that’s been constant, whether it’s two teams or whatever we’re at now — all I know in football, it’s better if you win than lose. It’s as simple as that. We want to win every game possible.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: What does Kirk Ferentz's think of a 24-team College Football Playoff?
Continue reading...
That format lasted for 10 seasons. Then in 2024, it increased to 12 teams.
But expansion might not stop. There is the potential for the bracket to include 24 teams sometime in the future.
What does Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz think about that possibility?
“My attitude is, if we're going to go to two to four, why not go bigger?” Ferentz said at Big Ten Media Days in July. “Whether you want to debate 16 or 24, I'm in favor of 24 certainly. But the other part of the story is, I think our focus needs to be on some other issues that probably are bigger to college football right now than the playoff discussion. But totally in favor of 24, to answer the question. I think it benefits everybody, not just a school like ours.”
More: Why 3-star offensive lineman James Barnett committed to Iowa football
Big Ten programs have been crowned national champions in each of the last three seasons. Michigan passed the torch to Ohio State, which then passed it to Indiana, the most recent champion.
The College Football Playoff has existed for more than a decade, mostly with four teams. But even after increasing to 12 teams, Iowa has never made an appearance in the CFP.
An expanded field would benefit a program like Iowa, which is consistently in the neighborhood of the top 25, but not among college football’s elites. Qualifying for a four-team playoff would require a flawless season — or close to it. Making a 12-team field is more feasible, but would still require a superb season.
Needless to say, making a 24-team playoff would be the most realistic path for Iowa to earn a berth.
More: How Iowa football's Addison Ostrenga rallied from season-ending setback
Just in the last few years, Iowa would've been good enough to be in the discussion for a 24-team playoff on multiple occasions. The Hawkeyes would've had a chance to make the field in 2025. They would’ve very likely been in the field in 2023, despite disastrous quarterback play. They would’ve probably also made the field in 2021, when they made the Big Ten Championship game.
So a 24-team bracket would not only open the door for Iowa to finally earn a berth to the playoff, but also potentially make it on a relatively regular basis.
Iowa Director of Athletics Beth Goetz endorses the 24-team field, as well.
“I think, one, it probably gives us a few more options to think about in your non-conference scheduling and how that looks from year to year,” Goetz said. “But the other piece, if you look back historically about how many teams in our conference — and Iowa in particular — would be in the conversation. I know there’s been some reporting about how many times we would’ve been in that 24 (team field). But even more importantly, I think if you start to look at teams that might be sitting at seven, eight, nine, they’re in play for those spots, depending how things go, long into the season, which I think makes it exciting for fanbases.”
The 24-team playoff would keep more teams in the mix for spots deeper into the season. For instance, after back-to-back losses to Oregon and USC in November last season, Iowa’s CFP hopes were entirely squashed. The Hawkeyes played the final two games of the regular season without any major postseason implications, other than which bowl they would play in.
But if it were a 24-team playoff, Iowa would’ve still been alive to sneak into the field.
A larger CFP also gives Iowa more breathing room to weather an early-season loss. For instance, Iowa has lost to Iowa State in September for each of the last two years, quickly putting them behind the eight ball to make the 12-team College Football Playoff. Because of how difficult the Big Ten is, a loss in the non-conference makes Iowa's path to the CFP narrow.
But if the CFP were 24 teams, a September loss wouldn’t be as devastating to the Hawkeyes' postseason hopes.
More: Inside the brilliant football mind of Iowa defensive back Zach Lutmer
“The idea is, number one, keeping as many teams in contention for as long as possible,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. “Play as many meaningful games for as long as you can. Secondly, the format creates all kinds of incentives. If you think about a 24-team playoff, right, a bunch of teams are going to be ranked between 16 and 24 that are just trying to make sure they're in. You're going to have teams playing until the very end to see if they're in. You're going to have teams playing to see if they can get a home game."
Petitti also added: "It's a big advantage to be one of the eight teams that get a bye. It's a big advantage to be seeded one and two. You have the best path to the semifinal. It's a lot different to go on the road in the first-round game than it is to host one in your stadium. So, I think we've got a lot of different incentives all across the format that keep you playing hard until the very end."
If the CFP expands to 24-teams, the Big Ten Championship game would likely cease to exist.
“We think overall, that if we expand the playoff and have the access we need, we'd be willing to make that trade,” Petitti said. “As great as our championship game is — it's been wildly successful, we've had incredible games the last couple of seasons — but I still think we're willing to do that because we believe that access (to the CFP) is still the most important thing.”
The FCS already includes 24 teams in its playoff. If the FBS also moves to that figure, it would change the college football landscape and make a berth for the Hawkeyes much more realistic.
Still, if it does expand, Ferentz doesn’t expect it to change how the Hawkeyes operate.
“Not at all,” Ferentz told the Register in May. “I don’t know why it would. One thing that’s been constant, whether it’s two teams or whatever we’re at now — all I know in football, it’s better if you win than lose. It’s as simple as that. We want to win every game possible.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: What does Kirk Ferentz's think of a 24-team College Football Playoff?
Continue reading...
