Big 12 chief pushes back on SEC, Big Ten auto qualifier idea for College Football Playoff

As leaders from the SEC and Big Ten are expected to redesign the College Football Playoff to their advantage, the head of the Big 12 doesn't sound too enthralled by the idea.

James Parks | Mar 13, 2025

With speculation that the SEC and Big Ten will push to add automatic qualifiers for themselves in a future College Football Playoff, the head of the Big 12 pushed back against what he called an artificial championship. / USA Today Sports | Imagn

While the SEC and Big Ten hope to use their combined power to redesign the College Football Playoff to their own advantage, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark doesn’t sound entirely on board with those plans.

Leaders from the SEC and Big Ten have discussed making potential changes to how teams are seeded and possibly giving themselves up to four automatic qualifiers each in the playoff going forward.

That would amount to an “artificial championship” in Yormark’s view.

“I like the 12-team format. I love it,” Yormark said at the Big 12 basketball tournament.

“Whether we go to 14 or expand the field, I don’t know, and obviously it’ll be a decision amongst the management committee. As it relates to the AQs [automatic qualifiers], and I’ve been saying this, I don’t want an artificial championship.

“I want people to earn their way in. I don’t want it being predetermined. That being said, I’m open to discussion. I want to weigh the pros and cons of lots of different scenarios. Then, as a collective group, make a decision on what’s right for college football.”

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The current reports indicate that the SEC and Big Ten are looking to use their influence to give themselves those four auto bids, grant the ACC and Big 12 two places each, one to a Group of Five team, and another to an at-large selection.

That plan has been met with considerable opposition from other conferences that feel the SEC and Big Ten are skewing the field to suit themselves in an uncompetitive manner.

But after this season, when the College Football Playoff no longer requires a unanimous vote to change the format, it’s tough to see anyone really standing in their way.

“As we think about beyond, the one guiding principle for me and I think for the room is, what’s in the best interest of college football?” Yormark said.

“That’s what everyone should be focused on. We’re going to continue to vet out what that means and hopefully get to a great place in the next couple of months.”

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