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Eli Drinkwitz has a wild playoff idea that could revolutionize college football’s postseason – and keep fans glued to their screens deeper into December.
The Missouri head coach isn’t just on board with playoff expansion; he’s dreaming bigger than the current 12-team format. At SEC Media Days, Drinkwitz pitched what amounts to a 30-team playoff bonanza that would dramatically increase access for power conference programs.
“My math could be wrong here, but if we did the 12, okay, and you had four automatic qualifiers? Everybody thinks that’s limiting,” Drinkwitz said. “It’s not limiting if you think about it from, you take those four automatic qualifiers and you divide that into eight opportunities, of eight play-in games. Now you’re thinking, the SEC is playing in for eight, the Big Ten is playing in for eight. Since we’ve expanded the bubble to 16, give three to the Big 12, three to the ACC, one, one.”
The Mizzou coach’s vision? A system where 30 different fanbases stay engaged through the regular season’s final whistle.
“Now you’ve got 30 teams, 30 teams. Now you’re talking about an opportunity for 30 teams, 30 fan bases to be excited and engaged, engaged in giving revenue. You’ve got 30 teams with players who have access to compete for a championship,” Drinkwitz continued. “So, for me, I think that makes a lot more sense.”
Let’s break down this madness.
Drinkwitz’s plan centers around 10 play-in games that would determine half of a 16-team bracket. The SEC and Big Ten would each get eight potential spots (including automatic qualifiers), while the ACC and Big 12 would each receive five opportunities.
How Drinkwitz’s 30-Team Playoff Would Work
- 4 automatic qualifiers (SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 champions)
- 3 SEC play-in games (6 additional SEC teams competing)
- 3 Big Ten play-in games (6 more Big Ten teams)
- 2 ACC play-in games (4 more ACC teams)
- 2 Big 12 play-in games (4 more Big 12 teams)
- 1 spot for the highest-ranked Group of Five team
- 1 additional at-large berth
The beauty of this system? It takes the selection committee’s power away for those final spots and settles it between the lines. No more arguments about the eye test or strength of schedule — just win your play-in game and you’re in.
Drinkwitz pointed out that the NFL already puts “44% of their teams” into the postseason. His plan would move college football closer to that model while creating December matchups that would rival the bowl season for excitement.
The SEC and Big Ten commissioners probably wouldn’t complain about controlling 60% of the playoff field. Even the ACC and Big 12 might support a system guaranteeing five teams each a shot at the national title.
Is this happening anytime soon? Not a chance.
But Drinkwitz’s outside-the-box thinking highlights how coaches are already looking beyond the 12-team format before it’s even played its first season. His proposal would create an entirely new level of December drama with teams fighting their way into the bracket rather than hoping for committee favor.
For fans who crave more meaningful late-season games and fewer debates about who deserves the final spots, Drinkwitz’s plan offers an intriguing — if unlikely — alternative to the current system.
