Colorado Buffaloes AD Rick George's Strong Stance On College Football Playoff Expansion

University of Colorado athletic director Rick George has made his opinion clear on another potential round of College Football Playoff expansion.

Mere months after the Ohio State Buckeyes won the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, discussions toward expanding the field to 16 teams have already begun. One potential model is 5+11, which would feature five conference champions (the four Power Four winners and the highest Group of Five/Six champion) and 11 at-large bids. It's still theoretical, but Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark and George are early proponents of the 5+11 CFP model.

Oct 22, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark speaks to media during Big 12 Women’s Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

“First and foremost, I like 16," Yormark said on ESPN earlier this week. "More access is better for the Big 12 for sure. But I’m also about fairness, and there’s been a lot of conversations out there about AQs (automatic qualifiers) and from where I sit — and I know I speak for our coaches and ADs — we want to earn it on the field. And I’m adamant about that.

"I think a 5+11 format does that. It’s fair, it’s what our fans want. They don’t want an invitational. They want a true playoff system. We have that now. I thought last year going to a 12-team format was fantastic," Yormark continued.

George responded to Yormark's comments in a quote tweet on X, stating "Agree with our Commish!!" Considering the Big 12 sent only its conference champion, the Arizona State Sun Devils, to the College Football Playoff last year, George and Yormark's expansion hopes make sense.

The BYU Cougars (No. 17), Iowa State Cyclones (No. 18) and Colorado Buffaloes (No. 23) were all close to making the 12-team tournament last year based on the final College Football Playoff rankings.

Agree with our Commish!! https://t.co/tmOFB8h6SZ
— Rick George (@RickGeorgeCU) May 30, 2025

Yormark added that while he's optimistic about the 5+11 format, it'll require the complete support of the SEC and Big Ten.

"I think there's real momentum for 5-11," Yormark said following the Big 12 spring meetings, per ESPN. "Certainly, the public is voting yes for it, which I think is critically important. Yes, the Big Ten, the SEC are leading the discussions, but with leading those discussions, they have a great responsibility that goes with it, to do what's right for college football and not to do anything that just benefits two conferences. I have a lot of faith in the process, and I think we'll land in the right place."

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Because Colorado has never qualified for the four or 12-team College Football Playoff, George will likely remain a strong proponent of expansion. Coach Deion Sanders also has hopes of reaching the CFP, but earning an at-large bid in the Big 12 Conference isn't easy, largely due to the SEC and Big Ten's superior depth. As BYU, Colorado and Iowa State learned last year, finishing second simply isn't good enough in the cannibalistic Big 12.