Paul Finebaum Warns College Football Playoff Expansion Will Be 'Disaster'

Paul Finebaum Warns College Football Playoff Expansion Will Be 'Disaster'

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Paul Finebaum Warns College Football Playoff Expansion Will Be 'Disaster'

There have been plenty of talks about the College Football Playoff expanding again and moving from 12 teams all the way to 24 teams. ESPN's Paul Finebaum is not a fan of the idea at all and issued a warning to college football if it does happen.

Appearing on ESPN's Get Up, Finebaum admitted that there's "too much money at stake" for the College Football Playoff to remain at 12 teams and it will probably go to 24 eventually. But he warned that if it does go to 24 teams, it will be "a complete and total disaster" due to how it will dilute the college football regular season.

“Let’s remember: three years ago there were only four, so now we’re at 12, and now the Big Ten and others want to go to 24,” Finebaum said. “I think ultimately it will go to 24. There’s just too much money at stake.

 “I think if it goes to 24, it will be a complete and total disaster. You’re talking about getting rid of conference championship games is one thing, but letting a bunch of mediocre teams into the Playoff will dilute the regular season.”

Finebaum explained that college football currently boasts the best regular season in sports and that if the focus changes to the postseason, it won't matter anymore.

“College football owns the regular season,” he pointed out. “You have all these major games in November that suddenly really won’t mean much. I know the NFL plays for wild cards and byes and home-field advantage, but that’s not what college football is about.”

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.© Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

RIP Regular Season

It's not exactly a new argument. Fans have been warning that this will be the case ever since the first reports of expansion to 24 teams first became public.

We're fortunate enough that there's still plenty of juice in some of the all-time great rivalries like The Iron Bowl and The Game so that even when one of the teams is bad the players are still going all-out.

The danger is that teams that qualify for the College Football Playoff well in advance will rest their starters for those key rivalry games, diminishing them at the altar of being ready t contend for the national title game.

The powers that be in the College Football Playoff clearly want their tournament to be more like the NCAA Tournament or the World Cup in terms of size – and by extension, profit. But if it diminishes the game itself to make that possible, it could wind up biting them in the back.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Jul 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos