Josh Pate Says 24-Team Playoff Could Accelerate Conference Collapse

Josh Pate called the College Football Playoff’s planned expansion to 24 teams a poor decision, arguing that the change reflects financial pressures rather than a genuine effort to improve the season. His comments came one day after ESPN and playoff officials completed a five-year deal worth nearly $1.7 billion. The 2026 playoff will still have 12 teams, and this season’s Power 4 title games are the final ones under the current format.

Pate also objected to executive director Rich Clark’s acknowledgment that fans opposed expansion. Clark said fan sentiment was considered, but officials chose to proceed. Pate said he did not blame Clark personally, but argued the message to fans was that their views had been heard but would not affect the outcome.

Among Pate’s objections, he said a larger field would not encourage teams to schedule more difficult opponents. Florida canceled a home-and-home series with Notre Dame for 2031 and 2032 hours after the expansion announcement. Pate also argued that playoff games would draw value away from regular-season games rather than simply replace less meaningful bowls.

He warned that Group of Six conferences could be disadvantaged. The format guarantees a place to the highest-ranked team from those leagues, while requiring power-conference programs to play 10 games against power-conference opponents. Pate said that could reduce the nonconference games those teams use to strengthen their résumés, and suggested the Group of Six consider its own playoff.

Pate said coaches helped drive the expansion through the American Football Coaches Association, rather than ESPN, which he said had preferred a 12-team playoff. He argued that a 12-team field better reflected the distinction between teams with two losses and those with three. He also predicted the conference system could be near collapse within five years, as changing media deals and new platforms give schools more reason to consider independence. He said the sport itself would remain intact.

A Bigger Playoff Risks Leaving Smaller Conferences Behind

The planned expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams is drawing criticism from Josh Pate, who argues the change could erode the regular season while doing little to deliver its promised benefits. The deal was finalized by the playoff and ESPN a day before Pate’s comments and is worth nearly $1.7 billion over five years.

Pate took aim at Rich Clark’s acknowledgment that many fans opposed expansion, saying the decision effectively tells them their views will not shape college football’s direction. He also challenged the claim that a bigger field would lead schools to schedule tougher opponents. Florida canceled its 2031-32 home-and-home series with Notre Dame hours after the expansion announcement.

The stakes are especially high for Group of Six conferences, Pate argued. Although the format reserves a place for the highest-ranked team from those leagues, power-conference teams must play 10 games against power-conference opponents. Pate expects that requirement to reduce opportunities for nonconference matchups that help build a team’s résumé, and urged Group of Six leaders to explore a separate playoff.

Pate said playoff games could drain attention and value from regular-season contests rather than merely replace less meaningful bowls. He blamed coaches for backing the expansion through their association, while saying ESPN had favored a 12-team field. The 2026 playoff remains at 12 teams, but Pate predicts the conference model could face collapse within five years as media arrangements and platforms evolve.

Pate Warns 24-Team Playoff Could Upend College Football’s Structure

Josh Pate says college football’s leaders are taking the sport in the wrong direction with a planned 24-team playoff, a move he called a last resort amid financial strain. ESPN and playoff officials had agreed to a five-year deal worth nearly $1.7 billion the day before he spoke. The 2026 postseason remains a 12-team event.

Pate rejected the suggestion that expansion simply gives fans more meaningful games. He argued that a larger field makes it easier for teams to reach the playoff and reduces the pressure to schedule demanding opponents. Florida’s cancellation of its 2031-32 home-and-home with Notre Dame came hours after the expansion announcement, underscoring his concern about schools avoiding risk.

He also criticized the claim that playoff games merely take the place of lesser bowl games, saying the expanded tournament could pull value from regular-season contests. Pate said coaches, acting through the American Football Coaches Association and athletic department leadership, backed the 24-team model. He said ESPN had preferred a 12-team format, despite its role in the new deal.

Pate predicts the conference system could be nearing collapse within five years. He said media-rights agreements currently run through conferences, but new money and platforms could make full independence more attractive to schools. He also warned that the requirement for power-conference teams to play 10 games against one another could narrow scheduling options for Group of Six programs, despite a guaranteed playoff place for the highest-ranked team from those leagues.