Exclusive: Clark Lea says college football will have to sacrifice tradition in exchange for CFP expansion

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Go up and get utilized to it now: nan statement complete expanding nan College Football Playoff to 24 teams isn’t going anyplace anytime soon. Sitting wrong Vanderbilt caput coach Clark Lea's agency connected Wednesday, it wasn’t difficult to announcement nan ongoing chatter that has now erstwhile again reared its head.

Ever since CFP leaders wrapped meetings successful Miami — earlier Indiana capped an historical play pinch a nationalist title — nan conflict betwixt nan SEC and nan remainder of college football has only intensified, pinch nan astir caller gathering taking spot conscionable extracurricular of Dallas.

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At nan halfway of it each is 1 question: really large should nan playoff section really be?

For months, nan SEC has stood patient down a 16-team format, a exemplary its tv partner ESPN supports. Meanwhile, nan Big Ten has pushed for 24 teams — an thought that initially drew guidance from nan ACC and Big 12 earlier opinions started to shift.

That’s thing new. Conference commissioners changing positions is practically portion of nan job. But this time, nan stakes are higher. With revenue-sharing challenges mounting crossed assemblage athletics — and immoderate schools already cutting sports — expanding nan playoff has go a imaginable financial lifeline.

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Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips speaks during an NCAA assemblage shot news convention astatine nan ACC media days successful Charlotte, N.C., connected July 20, 2022. (Nell Redmond/AP)

More teams mean much games. More games mean much tv inventory. And much inventory intends much money, maybe.

As nan caller College Football Playoff statement pinch ESPN starts, which is simply a six-year deal, location is simply a number of teams that could fundamentally trigger further bidding. According to manufacture sources, if nan CFP were to work together connected a 14-team postseason, ESPN would still clasp onto its inventory of games, which they could proceed sub-licensing retired to networks for illustration TNT aliases TBS.

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But, if CFP leaders were to someway work together to nan 24-team format, aliases moreover 16-teams, this would let networks for illustration FOX, NBC aliases CBS to subordinate nan statement if they were consenting to pay. This stems from nan statement signed by ESPN and nan CFP, which would let nan playoff to put nan other games that would travel from a 24-team postseason connected nan market.

And while that mightiness beryllium nan case, from an economical standpoint, nan smarter move would beryllium for ESPN to conscionable acquisition nan authorities to nan added games of a 16-team playoff fixed it mightiness not beryllium worthy nan value for FOX aliases NBC to acquisition nan further 2 matchups.

Though it’s not difficult to spot why aggregate conferences would beryllium connected board.

It's not that easy. Conference title games replaced by play-in matchups?

As Vanderbilt caput coach Clark Lea pointed retired this week successful Nashville, description isn’t arsenic elemental arsenic adding much teams.

"The first point that we request to attraction connected is erstwhile we extremity nan season," Clark Lea told OutKick. "I deliberation we person a existent rumor correct now, and I deliberation nan rumor is tied to TV contracts and and dedicated clip slots wherever we're not competing pinch nan NFL, and worldly for illustration that which extends our play 3 weeks into January that perfectly undermines nan integrity of what we're trying to do arsenic a sport.

"Whatever we do adjacent pinch nan playoff, description is coming. We (SEC) each expected it for this twelvemonth and it deed a hiccup. But, arsenic description comes, it cannot travel astatine nan disbursal paying attraction to nan seasons end, and let's beryllium much reasonable astatine tying that."

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Kentucky caput coach Mark Stoops and Vanderbilt caput coach Clark Lea meet connected nan section aft an NCAA assemblage shot crippled successful Nashville, Tenn., connected Nov. 22, 2025. (George Walker IV/AP)

As OutKick reported complete nan past year, expanding nan playoff successful this magnitude could besides travel pinch nan caveat that convention title games would cease to exist. While this mightiness sound for illustration an easy hole to some, it's a overmuch bigger conception to really propulsion off, fixed nan magnitude of money ESPN and FOX salary for these title games, pinch some games receiving a reported $160 cardinal for their title games combined.

"We're going to person to fto spell of immoderate accepted extremity of nan twelvemonth elements successful assemblage football," Clark Lea mentioned, while besides noting that he 'thinks' that would beryllium a convention championship.

So what replaces them?

"Somehow nan playoff exemplary is incorporated, right?" Lea offered up. "Otherwise, this (season) extends forever. I deliberation we saw past twelvemonth these ridiculous breaks successful play, which I deliberation ruins nan competive merchandise connected nan field. I would beryllium really willing to perceive answers and to get group reasoning towards those things.

"How do we amended nan product, tighten nan season? Finishing person to nan semester ending, nan portal window. Now each of nan abrupt we person a amended product."

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Coaches go fans successful these conversations astir description

The thought of repackaging an SEC, Big Ten, ACC aliases Big 12 title play into play-in type games for each convention is an thought that tv networks for illustration ESPN and FOX person been astatine slightest discussing.

Given that they would beryllium giving up a money-making crippled successful position of advertizing and ratings, nan substitute would person to beryllium enticing capable to contemplate.

But, if you were to inquire nan fans if they would alternatively watch 4 teams battling successful Atlanta, Indianapolis, Charlotte aliases Dallas complete a two-day play for a spot successful nan assemblage shot playoff, I'd ideate that would beryllium an easy waste to networks and advertisers alike.

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Even then, deciding connected a way to return is not easy task.

"Those decisions request to beryllium made based connected driving arsenic overmuch imaginable gross and getting nan champion imaginable speech retired of each crippled we have. So, to opportunity 24 aliases 16 is really conscionable to opportunity arsenic galore teams arsenic we can, while besides not giving distant nan expertise to discuss what those games tin bring to us.

Head Coach Clark Lea of nan Vanderbilt Commodores acknowledgment fans aft beating nan Missouri Tigers astatine FirstBank Stadium successful Nashville, Tenn., connected Oct. 25, 2025. (Carly Mackler/Getty Images)

At nan extremity of nan day, folks conscionable want to spot nan athletics of assemblage shot put successful nan champion imaginable spot moving forward, which includes nan coaches who are competing for spots, for illustration Clark Lea.

"What we do erstwhile we commencement to participate successful these conversations is we go fans. I cognize it's measurement much analyzable than conscionable adding arsenic galore teams arsenic possible. This has sewage to beryllium done successful nan champion measurement to optimize our product, and to thrust nan gross we request to prolong our sport."

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While SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is fundamentally opinionated connected an land by himself successful position of pushing a 16-team format complete a jump to 24, we're starting to perceive his coaches wrong nan convention commencement to sound their differing opinions connected what nan early should really look like.

While that mightiness beryllium nan case, nan coaches only person truthful overmuch weight successful these conversations, arsenic I discussed connected Wednesday.

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Either way, outpouring meetings successful assemblage shot became overmuch much important complete nan past 2 years, pinch nan Big Ten group to meet adjacent week successful Los Angeles, while nan SEC prepares to meet aft Memorial Day successful Florida.

Let nan games continue.