Big Ten CFP Spots: Ryan Day Calls for Expansion
- Ohio State coach Ryan Day is advocating for the Big Ten to receive at least four automatic qualifying spots in the expanded college Football Playoff.
- Day's proposal surfaces amid growing debate over the structure of the playoff, particularly regarding automatic qualifiers for power conferences.The SEC, for exmaple, has shown support for a model...
- Day emphasized the Big Ten's strength, especially after adding Oregon and Washington, both of whom have recently competed for national titles.
Ryan Day, the Ohio State coach, is aggressively pushing for the Big Ten to secure a minimum of four automatic qualifying spots in the expanded College Football Playoff. He champions the conference’s bolstered strength, particularly post-expansion, highlighting Oregon and Washington’s recent national title contention. Day argues that an increased number of automatic bids would encourage more challenging nonconference scheduling, ensuring top teams consistently face formidable opponents. He also raises concerns about roster sizes and the potential wear on players during a longer playoff run, a key aspect of the CFP expansion discussion.News Directory 3 continues to closely follow developments in the evolving landscape of college football. What critical decisions will shape the future of the sport?
Ryan Day Pushes for Automatic Big Ten Bids in CFP Expansion
Updated June 05, 2025
Ohio State coach Ryan Day is advocating for the Big Ten to receive at least four automatic qualifying spots in the expanded college Football Playoff. His comments come as college football leaders discuss the future CFP model, set to begin in 2026.
Day’s proposal surfaces amid growing debate over the structure of the playoff, particularly regarding automatic qualifiers for power conferences.The SEC, for exmaple, has shown support for a model featuring automatic bids for the top five conference champions and 11 at-large selections.
Day emphasized the Big Ten’s strength, especially after adding Oregon and Washington, both of whom have recently competed for national titles. Oregon secured the No. 1 seed in the CFP last fall, while Washington reached the championship game the prior season.
Day believes that guaranteeing more automatic spots will encourage teams to schedule tougher nonconference opponents.he pointed out the scheduling disparities between conferences,with the Big Ten and Big 12 playing nine league games compared to the SEC and ACC’s eight.
“We’re in the Big Ten, and we have 18 teams and some of the best programs in the country. I feel like we deserve at least four automatic qualifiers [in a 16-team CFP model].”
Ohio state coach Ryan Day
Ohio State is scheduled to open the 2025 season against texas, the SEC runner-up. day suggested that without automatic qualifiers,such challenging matchups might become less common.
Day also expressed concern about roster limitations in an expanded playoff format. He noted that with a roster limit of 105 players, navigating a potentially 17-game season could be challenging, especially given the inability to easily replace injured players as in the NFL.
What’s next
the debate around College Football Playoff expansion and automatic qualifiers is expected to continue as stakeholders seek a balanced and equitable model for the future of the sport.