'Those games matter': Indiana football players reject Petitti’s plan to scrap Big Ten title

CHICAGO — Indiana football players aren’t sold on Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti’s vision for an expanded 24-team College Football Playoff that comes at the cost of the league's conference championship game. 

At Big Ten Media Days in Chicago last week, Petitti made it clear that the league’s athletic directors and coaches are willing to sacrifice the title game for increased CFP access. 

“We won't be playing a championship game if we go to 24,” Petitti said. “I think that's been pretty settled in terms of when we make this decision as a league, are we going to support 24, that's where you start the conversation.”

More: Ohio State knows atmosphere has changed at Indiana football this year

The Big Ten started playing an annual conference championship game when the league expanded to 12 teams in 2011, but the college landscape has significantly changed in recent years. 

Petitti talked about the title game presenting “conflicting incentives” for playoff contenders, ones that wouldn’t go away with an expanded field and busier calendar. The CFP could move to a 24-team model as soon as the 2027 season if the power conferences can come to an agreement. 

“It's still very powerful to win a Big Ten championship, and teams play hard,” Petitti said. “They want to win that game, but you're talking about a pretty tough journey to go all the way through. And where you are playing next and what happens if a team loses that game, they don't get a bye, and they have to go play relatively quickly.”

While Petitti spoke in dispassionate terms about the game’s future — “I think we just have gotten past that” — the trio of Hoosiers who made the trip to Chicago had a different view. 

“I think those games matter, man,” IU defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker said.

The aftermath of Indiana’s 13-10 win over Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium last year spoke to Tucker’s point. The emotional celebration that started on the field carried over to the locker room with players taking an immense amount of pride in knocking off a Buckeyes team that had long dominated the Hoosiers. 

“How are you going to know who runs the conference?” IU offensive lineman Carter Smith said.

It’s why Indiana has the same goals for 2026. 

“It’s important man,” Hoosiers linebacker Isaiah Jones said. “This is one of the toughest conferences in the country, it's gritty, it's hard-nosed. It's history. It's something every Big Ten team wants to make. It’s what you look forward to and it's a stepping stone on to the national championship.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 'Those games matter': Indiana football players reject Petitti’s plan to scrap Big Ten title