Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz and Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert have ignited a critical debate regarding the structural integrity of college football following the College Football Playoff’s expansion to 24 teams starting in 2027. The new format eliminates conference championship games to accommodate the expanded playoff schedule, prompting Drinkwitz to rhetorically question the utility of conference affiliations during his Tuesday press conference. “My question is why are we associated with conferences anymore if we’re not playing for a conference championship?” Drinkwitz asked, challenging the premise that scheduling affiliation alone justifies the current geographic and competitive landscape.
With 24-team playoff killing title games, coaches ask why conferences still matter.
The removal of conference title games, traditionally held on the first weekend of December, is a direct consequence of the need to fit more playoff rounds into the calendar. With the primary goal of the expansion being increased revenue and broader national exposure, the traditional conference hierarchy is being dismantled in favor of a “sea of 24” teams. Drinkwitz highlighted the logistical and competitive absurdity of this shift, asking if there is a valid reason for teams to fly across the country for games when the ultimate prize is no longer a conference banner but a spot in a massive, cash-driven playoff bracket.
This query from top-tier coaches signals a potential realignment of power dynamics in college football. If conferences no longer offer a definitive title or a guaranteed playoff path, their value proposition to member institutions may shift entirely to scheduling logistics and media rights distribution. As the 2027 season approaches, the absence of conference championships could force a reevaluation of rivalries, travel burdens, and the very definition of conference membership, potentially leading to further fragmentation or the creation of new, more geographically cohesive scheduling groups.
Source: Yahoo Sports
