Ryan Day Pushes Four Big Ten CFP Bids

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is advocating for the Big Ten to receive at least four automatic qualifiers in a future expanded College Football Playoff, citing the conference's 18 teams and recent national titles by Michigan and Ohio State. Proposed 16-team playoff models include one favoring guaranteed spots for power conferences and another, the '5-plus-11' model, that would broaden access. Day and other coaches argue that automatic bids for the Big Ten and SEC would incentivize stronger non-conference scheduling and reflect the leagues' competitive depth. The ACC and Big 12 oppose these guarantees, preferring more at-large opportunities. These discussions follow recent conference expansions and center on balancing competitive fairness with financial interests. The outcome could significantly shape future scheduling and playoff access.