Group of 5 Disrespect? Tulane, JMU, and the Fight for a Seat at the CFP Table
If you’ve been paying attention to the college football conversation this week, you might’ve noticed a sudden wave of criticism aimed squarely at Tulane and James Madison. And no, it’s not about their play on the field. It’s about whether they even deserve to be on the field in the first place.
Let’s break it down.
The “Group of 5 Problem”?
On the latest episode of ESPN’s Nonstop podcast, Kirk Herbstreit laid out his case for tightening the College Football Playoff’s entry rules for Group of 5 teams. His take?
Set a minimum ranking-say, top 16-and if a G5 team hits that mark, then they’re in. If not, tough luck.
“I don’t think we need to make sure everybody gets a trophy,” Herbstreit said. “I think that’s a bunch of bull--.”
Herbstreit’s not saying Group of 5 teams should be banned outright. But he clearly believes the bar should be higher. And while his tone was measured, his message was clear: the playoff shouldn’t be a participation trophy.
Then came Nick Saban.
The former Alabama head coach, now a full-time voice on ESPN’s College GameDay, didn’t hold back on The Pat McAfee Show. Comparing JMU’s playoff inclusion to letting a Triple-A baseball team play in the World Series, Saban argued that schools like Notre Dame are getting snubbed in favor of teams that “don’t belong.”
He even floated the idea that Group of 5 teams should just be handed a payout and stay home-while bigger brands like Notre Dame take their spot on the field.
And if that wasn’t enough, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt took things up a notch. On The Next Round podcast, Klatt called March Madness-yes, the beloved, chaotic, Cinderella-filled NCAA basketball tournament-“a joke” and “the dumbest tournament and least fair tournament in all of sports.”
His reasoning? “We don’t want Cinderellas. We want the best teams playing each other at the end… Nobody cares in football about James Madison, or the equivalent of George Mason.”
Why the Hate?
Let’s be honest: being a Group of 5 program already means fighting an uphill battle.
Budgets are smaller. Recruiting pipelines are thinner.
Coaching staffs often get poached by bigger programs-just ask JMU, who already lost head coach Bob Chesney to UCLA. And now, even after earning their way into the playoff, these teams are getting dunked on by some of the most powerful voices in the sport.
All because they dared to finish higher in the rankings than an 8-5 Duke or a 10-2 Notre Dame.
But here’s the thing: college football needs its underdogs. Always has.
Remember Boise State’s Statue of Liberty play to beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl? Or Appalachian State shocking No.
3 Michigan in the Big House? Or even just last season, when Northern Illinois stunned Notre Dame?
Those moments didn’t break college football. They made it better.
So when Tulane and JMU take the field this weekend, it’s not just about whether they can hang with the big boys. It’s about what their presence represents: a sport that still has room for stories that don’t come with a blue-blood pedigree.
Who Are They Hurting?
That’s the question that keeps getting lost in the noise.
Is Tulane’s inclusion in the playoff really harming anyone? Is JMU’s spot in the bracket some sort of existential threat to the sport?
Notre Dame didn’t get left out because of a Group of 5 technicality. They’re a 10-2 team that lost to the two best teams on their schedule.
That’s not the same as 2023 Florida State going 13-0 and getting snubbed. This was a tiebreaker situation in the ACC.
Not a conspiracy.
And let’s not pretend this year’s Tulane and JMU squads are trying to pass themselves off as 2004 Utah with Urban Meyer and Alex Smith, or 2010 TCU with Andy Dalton. Those teams finished top 5 in the AP Poll.
Tulane and JMU are ranked in the low 20s. They’re not claiming to be juggernauts.
They’re just trying to prove they belong on the field.
The Track Record Says Otherwise
Here’s some context: from 2014 to 2024, the average ranking of the Group of 5’s New Year’s Six or CFP representative was 13.6. These aren’t flukes. These are legitimate teams.
Four of those 11 teams won their bowl games-including Tulane, who took down Caleb Williams and USC in the 2023 Cotton Bowl. That wasn’t a feel-good story. That was a heavyweight win.
And let’s not forget 2024 Boise State. Led by Heisman runner-up and No. 6 overall NFL Draft pick Ashton Jeanty, they finished No. 9 in the final rankings. No one was crying foul back then.
But suddenly, because JMU and Tulane are in the field, the sky is falling?
Will They Get Blown Out? Maybe. So What?
Could Tulane get steamrolled by Ole Miss? Could JMU struggle against Oregon?
Sure. That’s always a possibility in the playoff-just ask last year’s No. 1 seed, Oregon, who fell behind 34-0 to Ohio State before halftime.
Blowouts happen. It’s part of the game.
But when it’s a Group of 5 team on the receiving end, the criticism always seems louder. Indiana and SMU took heat last year after first-round exits, too.
It’s a pattern: if you’re not a legacy program, you’re treated like an intruder.
There’s Room for Everyone
Look, we’re still going to get our blue-blood matchups. No.
1 Indiana is set to face either Alabama or Oklahoma in the quarterfinals. And a potential Ohio State-Georgia semifinal?
That’s appointment viewing.
But there are 68 FBS schools outside the Power 4. Giving one-or maybe two-a shot each year isn’t some radical idea. It’s a nod to the fact that greatness can come from anywhere.
And if one of those so-called “Triple-A” schools pulls off an upset?
That’s not a problem. That’s the magic of college football.
Right, Coach Saban?