The Big Ten may be ready to trade one of its biggest showcase events for a bigger stage in the College Football Playoff.
Commissioner Tony Petitti said the conference would likely be open to scrapping its championship game if the CFP grows to a 24-team format. In Petitti’s view, the math is simple: more playoff access matters more than keeping the league title game on the calendar.
"I think it's pretty much we won't be playing a championship game if we go to 24," Petitti said. "Are you willing to give up your championship game to have the expanded Playoff? We think overall, if we expand the playoff and have the access we need, we'd be willing to make that trade."
That stance comes from a conference that has already thrived under the expanded postseason. Over the first two seasons of the 12-team CFP, Big Ten programs have won 11 playoff games, with seven conference teams combining to do it. That total is more than twice what the next-closest league has managed.
The Big Ten has also been heavily involved in the action. Of the 22 games played in the first two years of the 12-team format, 14 featured at least one Big Ten team. Two of those matchups were conference-on-conference games.
And the league’s run of success doesn’t stop there. Indiana’s national championship gave the Big Ten its third straight football title, further strengthening the conference’s hand as leaders continue to debate the next expansion.
Petitti said support for a 24-team playoff has grown among coaches and athletic directors over the past year. The Big Ten’s thinking has shifted, too. It no longer appears locked into the automatic-qualifier model it once preferred.
"We feel that ultimately will still unlock the power of scheduling that we want," Petitti said. "I think there's been a lot of movement among coaches and ADs around the country that 24 is the right number, but we have to see if it has the right value."
The idea of dropping conference championship games would also help make room on the schedule. Just as important, it would remove the awkward possibility of a team getting punished for playing - and losing - one more high-stakes game right before the playoff begins.
Petitti said the Big Ten understands what the championship game means. It has value, it has produced big moments, and it matters to the people inside the league.
"It's still very powerful to win a Big Ten championship," Petitti said. "Teams play hard. They want to win that game, but you're talking about a pretty tough journey to go all the way through."
Still, the bigger picture is driving the conversation. Petitti said the Big Ten continues to work with the SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey, along with representatives from the ACC, Big 12 and the rest of the CFP leadership group.
The league hasn’t made a final decision. But its priorities are clear. The Big Ten likes its championship game, yet it likes playoff access more.
"As great as our championship has been, it's been wildly successful," Petitti said. "We've had incredible games the last couple of seasons, but I still think we're willing to do that because we believe that access is still the most important thing."
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