Paul Finebaum Slams 'Absurd' College Football Playoff Proposal

ESPN announcer Paul Finebaum before the SEC Championship game. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff may already be heading toward another major expansion, and not everyone believes that is a good thing.

College football spent years debating whether the four-team playoff was too restrictive before finally expanding to 12 teams. That move was designed to create broader access while still protecting what made the sport unique: the pressure of every single Saturday.

Now, before the 12-team format has even fully settled, discussions are already intensifying around expanding again.

The SEC has reportedly pushed for a 16-team format, while some leaders within the Big Ten have floated the possibility of eventually moving to 24 teams. That idea has sparked significant backlash across the sport, including from ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

Indiana's Roman Hemby (1) runs during the College Football Playoff National Championship college football game. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

During an appearance discussing the future of the playoff, Finebaum made it clear on his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," that he believes the sport is dangerously close to losing its identity.

"I can assure you of this, Greg Sankey or no Greg Sankey, I still think 24 is an absurd idea," Finebaum said.

He is not wrong. What separates college football from nearly every other sport is the importance of the regular season.

For decades, every game carried enormous weight. One loss could derail a championship run. Two losses often eliminated teams entirely. That pressure created unmatched intensity from September through November.

A 24-team playoff would fundamentally change that reality.

Under that format, three-loss and potentially even four-loss teams could remain alive deep into the season. That may sound appealing from an entertainment standpoint, but it also removes the urgency that has historically defined the sport.

The numbers back that up. Since the start of the four-team playoff era in 2014, only one national champion finished the regular season with more than one loss.

Expanding the field significantly increases the likelihood that teams with flawed résumés not only make the playoffs but potentially win the entire championship. That changes the meaning of the regular season.

At the same time, it is easy to understand why conferences want expansion. More playoff games mean more television inventory, more revenue and more national exposure for participating programs.

Financially, the incentive is obvious. Competitively, however, the argument becomes much weaker.

There is also a growing concern about player wear and tear. A 24-team format could force teams to play as many as 17 games in a season, essentially creating an NFL-style postseason without NFL roster depth. That is why Finebaum’s criticism resonates.

Expansion was always inevitable, but there is a point where adding more teams stops improving the sport and starts diluting it. Right now, college football may be getting dangerously close to crossing that line.