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Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark Pushes for Expanded College Football Playoff

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark made one thing clear during Big 12 Media Days: he believes college football needs to provide more teams with a chance to compete for a national championship.

Yormark said the conference now favors expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams after previously supporting a move to 16. While discussions remain ongoing among conference commissioners, he believes a larger field would better serve the sport.

"I liked 16 initially," Yormark said. "As I learned more about it… when 24 became part of the conversation, we've done our own conference due diligence around it, and we think it might be a great fit for us."

The Big 12's football coaches have already voiced their support for the proposal, and Yormark said conversations are continuing with athletic directors and university presidents as the conference evaluates its long-term position.

At the center of Yormark's argument is access.

"I've said it before, more access is needed as too many great teams are still left out," Yormark said. "Where that takes us, I can't tell you today. I don't have a crystal ball, but I want more access, and I think that's the right thing for us to consider."

Kansas football would likely benefit from a larger playoff field.

Programs outside the SEC and Big Ten have often found themselves fighting for limited at-large spots under the current format. Expanding to 24 teams would create additional opportunities for Big 12 contenders, giving programs like Kansas a more realistic path to the postseason if they can compete near the top of the conference.

Yormark acknowledged there are still significant questions to answer before any expansion becomes reality.

"We do need to understand the economics," he said. "We have to understand the scheduling dynamic and what that means, and the unintended consequences… As we consider 24, we've got to look at what we have and what potentially we might gain."

For now, the 12-team playoff remains in place, but Yormark made it clear the Big 12 intends to remain a leading voice in shaping the future of the sport, with expanded playoff access sitting near the top of its priorities.

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