College Football Playoff Expansion Proposal Would Limit ACC Automatic Bids

The Clemson Tigers and the rest of the ACC would be fighting over a limited number of automatic bids in an upcoming College Football Playoff proposal.

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) and Texas Longhorns defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) in action during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The contours of the updated College Football Playoff expansion that is currently being discussed will impact the ACC, including Clemson, in a disproportionate way than the Big Ten and the SEC, according to a report by Yahoo Sports.

ACC athletic directors met last week in Charlotte about the proposal. The SEC and the Big Ten are set to meet in New Orleans on Wednesday while Big 12 officials will also meet this week.

While it may look odd that the leagues are meeting separately, the Big Ten and the SEC will have sole authority over the future playoff format starting in 2026, thanks to a memorandum of understanding the parties signed last year.

The CFP Management Committee will meet Feb. 25 in Dallas. But the SEC and Big Ten will be the ones presenting ideas for a future format, not the ACC or the Big 12.

The formats begin discussed, per Yahoo, will disproportionately favor the Big Ten and the SEC, which would get four automatic qualifying berths into the playoff. That would hold firm whether the CFP Management Committee agrees to a 14-team or a 16-team format, both of which are on the table.

Meanwhile, the ACC and the Big 12 would receive two automatic berths in the CFP.

From there, one berth would go to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. After that, there would one to three at-large berths, depending upon whether the CFP is 14 teams or 16 teams. There could be one additional stipulation — Notre Dame would be guaranteed a berth if the Fighting Irish finished in the Top 14 of the final CFP rankings.

Overall, two automatic berths are better than one. It would give the ACC some latitude to determine how the two berths are handed out. Right now, the league only gets one automatic berth, which goes to the ACC title game champion.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips has already voiced his displeasure with the idea of unequal access to the playoff. That didn’t stop ACC leadership from signing the MOU when the Big Ten and SEC indicated they might bolt from the process and have their own playoff.

“It needs to be a true championship, not artificial and not an invitational,” he said to Yahoo.

Clemson won the ACC title this past season and reached the CFP for the seventh time in its history. Only Alabama has been to the CFP more times than the Tigers.

With Dabo Swinney as head coach, the Tigers have won two national titles and reached two other CFP title games. The Tigers lost to Texas, 38-24, in a first-round CFP game in December.