Paul Finebaum Names Change That Will Ruin College Football

SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

College football is heading toward another change, and this one could be a major detriment to the sport.

College football leaders are considering a move to a 24-team College Football Playoff just a few years after approving a 12-team playoff format. This new format still has some issues to be worked out, but it would likely eliminate conference championship games.

Still, if a team makes it to the championship and doesn't receive a bye in the first round, they could play around 17 games in a season. While fans likely won't care about that, because more football is always best for them, the issue will be the wear and tear on the players' bodies.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum elected to call out ACC commissioner Jim Phillips for being on board with the 24-team playoff.

On his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst said the concern of the players was once a concern of Phillips when they elected to move from four to 12 teams, but now it's all about the money.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips during the Miami Hurricanes game against the Mississippi Rebels. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"The commissioner of the ACC, Jim Phillips, came out the other day in favor of 24," Finebaum said.

"About three years ago, when we were pushing to expand the playoff, he said, 'What about the student athletes? What about the health? How can we do this to them?'  ... Everyone is moving ahead with self-preservation. They don't care about anything they previously said. There's no way in the world a 24-team playoff is good for anybody's health, but it's all about the money."

But Finebaum is right.

When is it too much? The commissioners and decision-makers don't care because they aren't the ones playing the games and suffering the physical tolls. Instead, they are the ones who are putting the money in their pockets.

Most people will look at 17 games, or 16 for the teams who get a bye already, and say that's basically what they are doing now, so what's the issue? But the issue is that these aren't players with fully mature bodies like those of NFL players.

A lot of these kids come from high school programs that play eight or 10 games. Some players play more, but that's still quite the jump.

All in all, these decision-makers claim that they want to do what's best for the athlete, while making decisions like this isn't what's best for the player. It's what is best for them, and it's a shame they don't see that.