Nebraska Could Benefit from Big Ten’s Viewpoint of Expanded College Football Playoff

Imagine the 2026 Huskers in position for one of the four proposed guaranteed berths

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti wants four guaranteed slots in the CFP for his conference teams. | Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti isn’t directly in Nebraska’s corner regarding his stance on the College Football Playoff. His focus is the Big Ten; that’s his job.

But the Huskers someday could be a beneficiary of a policy that Petitti is pushing.

Petitti wants four automatic berths in the College Football Playoff for both the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference if the CFP expands to 16 teams. There has been momentum in college football and the TV networks to increase the CFP from its current state of 12 teams. The earliest the CFP would expand in 2026.

The Big Ten’s CFP plan is 4+4+2+2+1 — four from the Big Ten, four from the SEC, two from the Big 12, two from the ACC, one slot for the top conference champion from the other conferences and three at-large teams.

The SEC wants a 5+11 model — five conference champions and 11 at-large teams.

“The Big Ten has a different view,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said this week following his opening remarks at the conference’s media day, according to ESPN.

“That’s fine. We have a 12-team playoff, five conference champions. That can stay if we can’t agree.”

Where does Nebraska fit it?

How does Petitti’s proposal potentially affect Nebraska? Simple math. It’s easier to finish in the top 4 than the top 2 or top 3. A top-4 finish automatically would get a team into the CFP. Last year, the Big Ten had four teams in the CFP — Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Indiana.

Those teams deserved to be in last year’s field. But last year was one year, not every year. The Big Ten wants a guarantee for four teams because there will be down years across the Big Ten. When that happens, Petitti wants his conference well represented.

If the Huskers are indeed a program slowly on the rise, the College Football Playoff should be on their radar … at some point. Last year’s 7-6 Nebraska team was 3-6 in the conference, tied for 12th.

Huskers in position for 2026?

But you can imagine the 2026 Huskers squad potentially being a top-4 Big Ten team, with a more experienced Dylan Raiola at quarterback, along with a roster that seems to have improved every year under coach Matt Rhule. Nebraska has five home conference games in 2026 and, except for Oregon, the road conference games are not overwhelming.

With the last two national champions, the Big Ten is bargaining from a position of strength. Of course, the SEC has dominated college football with 13 national champions since 2006. But this might be an opportune time for the Big Ten to negotiate.

One of the sticking points between the B1G and SEC is the number of conference games. According to ESPN, the Big Ten wants the SEC and ACC to play nine conference games, as the B1G already does.

Sankey has said he is not in favor of the SEC increasing its conference games from eight to nine, but that the conference would continue to explore it.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz largely backed the Big Ten plan Thursday to ESPN at the final day of SEC Media Days. His ideal field would be four teams each from the Big Ten and SEC, three teams each from the ACC and Big 12, the highest-ranked conference champion from the other conferences and one at-large team. Drinkwitz even pitched a 30-team CFP, with play-in games.

Remember, eighth-seeded Ohio State wouldn’t have even made the playoffs last year — when it won the national championship — if the four-team 2023 format was followed. That year, Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama were the CFP teams.

In 2024, Sankey’s SEC only had three teams in the CFP — Texas, Georgia and Tennessee. Alabama would have been the fourth team.

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