Skip to content
College football coaches are trying to rip out a couple of its most sacred traditions. But they might have a point. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) board has recommended a playoffs expansion to 24 teams that would scrap conference championship games altogether.
The main push, as first reported by Ross Dellenger, is about allowing more access and less wear and tear. Coaches want “maximum participation,” which is code for turning the postseason into something closer to the NFL model with a bigger field and fewer redundant hurdles. In this vision, conference games are just extra mileage on already exhausted rosters.
“The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has identified the length of the college football season as a critical issue that needs to be addressed,” the AFCA said. “As we modernize our game to better serve student-athletes, we have fallen short in structuring a season that concludes in a timely and sustainable way.”
Last year’s title game dragged to January 19, with the next one set for January 25. The proposal pulls that finish line back to early January and mandates at least six days between games. But the Army-Navy Game keeps its standalone spotlight but everything else is flexible.
But the thing is eliminating conference championships means killing some of the sport’s most electric Saturdays. The trade-off is clear as it’s tradition versus sustainability. And right now, coaches are choosing survival. The question will be whether fans are ready for it.
