"A postseason format that makes the regular season better": Big Ten Commish Tony Petitti shares idea to make CFP better

The Big Ten Conference is growing into a powerhouse in college athletics. With 18 teams, the league is giving tough competition to the SEC, while there are also rumors of a potential coalition.

Commissioner Tony Petitti was briefed on the potential theories and opened up on his vision about the future of college football. Most importantly, he shared his objective for the extended version of the 12-team College Football Playoff format.

“I really believe that you got to have a postseason format that makes the regular season better," Petitti told Joel Klatt on Monday. "So I want more teams to feel like they're chasing an opportunity to compete for a national championship. Teams can get hot late in the season, more meaningful conference games as late as possible. And I think you see that in the professional sports model.”

Petitti calls the latest amendments (from a four-team playoff format to a 12-team format) a big step towards upcoming changes. He wants equal representation of Big Ten teams and claims there is a need for a proper postseason format.

Petitti referenced professional leagues like the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB and mentioned that the postseason format provides balance to the regular season matchups.

Earlier in the four-team playoff format, it was quite essential for teams to score a perfect record but now this is no longer a requirement with more spots and chances to compete for the title.

Big Ten could comply with the 16-team playoff model

There has been a proposal to extend the playoff format to 16 teams. In this model, both the Big Ten and SEC will get four automatic spots, with the other two conferences, the Big 12 and the ACC, taking two each. The remaining four spots will be shared between G5 and other conferences in the NCAA, with each taking at least one spot.

This model provides equal opportunity for SEC and Big Ten teams to make the playoffs. Strength of the schedule happens to be a primary debating factor for both these leagues. With 16 spots, this aspect will be significantly reduced.

Edited by Krutik Jain