Nick Saban calls 24-team College Football Playoff too large, cites player workload and conference tradition
Former Alabama head coach and current ESPN analyst Nick Saban publicly criticized the upcoming 24-team College Football Playoff expansion during an appearance on the "New Heights" podcast, arguing that fewer than 24 teams are realistically capable of winning a national championship. Saban expressed particular concern about the expected elimination of conference championship games, describing those contests as meaningful traditions for players and fans alike. He suggested that a 12-team playoff was a sound format and that 16 teams could be a reasonable upper limit, but characterized 24 as simply too many games for college athletes to play. When pressed on the reason for expansion, Saban agreed with the podcast host's one-word answer: money. Separately, the CFP issued a statement saying a formal media rights agreement with ESPN tied to the expansion is in its final stages of review.
Why it matters
For coaches: The likely disappearance of conference championship games would remove a high-profile milestone that programs use for recruiting and program-building.
For media: A formal CFP–ESPN media rights agreement tied to the expansion is reportedly in its final stages, making the financial and broadcast stakes of this debate concrete.
For athletes: College football players could face a schedule of up to 17 games under the expanded format, raising questions about physical workload that prominent voices like Saban are already flagging.
Read the full story at Yahoo Sports college football
Sources
- Yahoo Sports college football · Nick Bromberg: Nick Saban says the upcoming 24-team College Football Playoff will include 'too many' teams
- Yahoo Sports college football: Nick Saban says there’s been a change in college football that he hates to see