Dan Lanning Makes March Madness Argument For 24 Team Playoff

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has pushed back for years on the college football playoff calendar and playoff structure. As the Ducks and the Big Ten Conference have emerged as drivers in the future of the sport, voices like Lanning's and Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day are important.

Both Lanning and Day made their opinions known on the 24-team model for the College Football Playoff, which the Big Ten proposed last summer. Each coach backed the CFP expansion to 24 teams and Lanning's reasoning stands out.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches as Indiana scores as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan Lanning's Stance On 24 Team College Football Playoff

Oregon does not need an expanded playoff for access to compete for a national championship. The Ducks have already made back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, including the No. 1 overall seed in 2024. Oregon also made the field when the playoff was just four teams in 2014.

This makes Lanning’s support for a 24-team model more interesting because it is not necessarily the most self-serving position for his own program. His opinion is that it would grow more interest in the sport as non-CFP bowl games have suffered from the 12-team playoff.

"Ryan's in the same similar situation, (Indiana coach) Curt (Cignetti) as well, similar situation," Lanning told ESPN. "Is it necessarily best for the programs that have been in to say, 'Hey, let's invite more?' No, but is it better? What's happened because of the College Football Playoff is every bowl game has been devalued, the end of the season looks completely different. You're a failure as a coach if you don't make it to the College Football Playoff.

"It's going to create more opportunity. Just like March Madness is great in the spring for basketball, it'll be good for our sport," Lanning continued.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches his players in the first half of the Ohio State football spring game at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, April 18, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Expansion is everywhere in college sports as the NCAA Tournament just stretched to 76 teams.

If a 24-team CFP had existed since the start of the BCS era in 1998, Oregon would have had 19 appearances.

But does an expanded field mean that regular season games don't matter as much? Would rivalry week be watered down?

Expansion Impact On Regular Season

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a 24-team model, Lanning argued the Ducks and top contenders would still be fighting for the best possible path, and one loss could change the difference between being No. 1, No. 5 or No. 8. In a way, seeding becomes a new race to try to get a bye. Every Oregon loss could still change the Ducks’ bracket path dramatically.

Day agreed with Lanning that a larger playoff would not lead to resting their starters for late-season games, like in the NFL.

The CFP will remain a 12-team field in 2026. If the format is to be changed for the 2027 season, the decision must be approved by Dec. 1. There is also backing from Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti for a 16-team playoff.

Lanning and Day are speaking from the top of the sport and the Big Ten's role matters. The conference first proposed the expansion last summer and it's voice has only grown after winning three consecutive national championships.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day shake hands after standing with the Leishman Trophy during a Rose Bowl press conference in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon joined the Big Ten and is considered big winner of conference realignment. The Ducks joined at a time where the conference isn't just competing for titles, it's helping reshape the future of the sport.

Lanning's stance shows where Oregon sits in the argument. The Ducks are already good enough to thrive in the current format but powerful enough to matter in the next one... And led by a coach who is willing to look beyond the easiest path for his own program.

Notably, the Ducks and the Buckeyes face off in Columbus at Ohio Stadium in one of the most highly anticipated matchups on the 2026 college football schedule.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google