Tony Petitti didn’t exactly stroll into Big Ten football media days like a man trying to hide. Still, the moment a security guard stopped him on the stairs at the Hilton Chicago and asked for his credential, it was a reminder of just how unfamiliar his face has been around college football’s biggest gatherings.
That’s been changing. The Big Ten commissioner has been noticeably more visible this week, spending more time with reporters, doing additional sit-down interviews and working the media room before his opening remarks Tuesday. He even shook hands and greeted reporters before stepping to the podium, where his comments were shorter than last year’s and left more room for questions.
It fits the moment. Petitti is in a strong spot, and his league is in one too. The Big Ten’s run of success is hard to miss in Chicago, where the last three College Football Playoff national championship trophies - won by Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana - were placed onstage.
The bigger story, though, is what Petitti is trying to sell next: a 24-team College Football Playoff beginning in 2027.
“I think there's been a lot of movement among coaches and ADs around the country that 24 is the right number,” Petitti said.
That idea has picked up steam. A year ago, it didn’t have enough support. Now the ACC and Big 12 are on board, and there is even some movement inside the SEC toward that number.
Petitti’s push comes at a time when the playoff itself is still new in its current form. Twelve has only existed for two years, and plenty of people still think that’s enough. The argument against expansion is straightforward: it could weaken the regular season, water down the postseason and hand out too many spots to teams that are merely solid.
Petitti sees it differently. He says a 24-team bracket would keep more teams alive deeper into the season, with multiple layers of motivation depending on where a team sits.
Some would be fighting just to get in. Others would be chasing home games.
The best would be angling for byes and better seeding.
“The idea is keeping as many teams in contention for as long as possible. Play as many meaningful games for as long as you can.
… The format creates all kinds of incentives. If you think about a 24-team playoff, a bunch of teams are going to be ranked between 16 and 24 that are just trying to make sure they’re in.
You're going to have teams playing until the very end to see if they’re in. You’re going to have teams playing to see if they can get a home game.
So every game is going to matter because your seeding is always going to be determined by somebody else.
“I think we’ve got a lot of different incentives all across the format that keep you playing hard until the very end. Secondly, I think the idea that we’re playing more competitive games is going to be crucial.
… I actually think [the media] will start writing more about how sleeper Minnesota could find a way to the Top 24 if they win this next game. I’m just using them as an example.
It could be anybody.”
There’s also a practical side to Petitti’s case. He said schools are making major investments in football, and that opportunity to play matters if those investments are going to continue.
“We've got institutions making incredible investments in football, and it’s really important to maintain that commitment to invest,” Petitti said. ”You have to have opportunity to play to maintain that investment. While the bowl system has done great things for college football for a really long time, when you get into a playoff world like this … success is defined very specifically about the playoff.”
The Big Ten has also backed away from its earlier push for a fixed number of automatic playoff bids, but that hasn’t slowed Petitti’s broader campaign. The next step, according to sources familiar with the process, is a presentation of revenue projections tied to a 24-team model at the CFP management committee meeting in August. A vote could follow in September, though the process could also move faster through virtual meetings or stretch all the way to December.
That kind of uncertainty is nothing new in playoff talks. What is new is the momentum behind Petitti’s plan.
And if he gets it done while the Big Ten continues to surge, it would cap a remarkable stretch. The league is deep at quarterback, improved on the sideline and making record amounts of money.
Petitti is no longer just the commissioner in the background. This week, he’s been out front.
He’s winning big. And he may not be done yet.
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