Big Ten's Jim Delany 'Happy to Discuss' College Football Playoff Expansion

Count Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany among those who would be open to a discussion about the College Football Playoff expanding its field.

"The Big Ten would be happy to discuss structure issues with colleagues," Delany told The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach. "It's probably a good idea, given all of the conversations and noise around the issue, to have discussions with our colleagues.

"The Big Ten would definitely have conversations."

Of course, there's no shortage of selfish motivation for Delany.

The Big Ten was represented in each of the first three playoff fields, with Ohio State winning the inaugural CFP championship game back in 2014-15. However, the Big Ten champion has been left out of the final four in each of the past three seasons, with the Buckeyes receiving an at-large bid back in 2016-17.

Despite initial success in the playoff, the Big Ten has been shut out by a combined 69-0 in its last two appearances. Whether those poor showings have influenced the committee over the last two years is unknown, though. 

Regardless, Delany's conference has been on the outside looking in recently, leaving him ready to explore alternative options.

Delany is not alone in his stance, however. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told Auerbach last week that expansion is "an appropriate thing to begin thinking about." Meanwhile, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi, UCF athletic director Danny White called the current four-team system "broken" and a "monopoly" as his team was snubbed for the second consecutive year despite riding a 25-game winning streak.

It's important to note that the ACC and the SEC are the only conferences to receive at least one spot in each of the first five playoff fields, with the SEC making up half of the field last season.

As The Athletic's Matt Brown points out, an eight-team playoff could help limit controversy by handing out automatic bids to Power 5 champions as well as the top Group of 5 team. The field would then be rounded out by two at-large teams.

Part of the issue with a potential expansion, though, is the format and schedule. Whether it be six or eight or 16 teams, additional games can further increase injury risk for student-athletes. With some teams playing 13 games prior to the playoffs, having three rounds in the playoffs could possibly create a 16-game slate, which would be the same as an NFL regular season.

Per Auerbach, the CFP's current television deal with ESPN runs through 2026. But that doesn't mean tweaks can't made before then. 

With Delany and Bowlsby leading the way, it appears it's possible there could be discussions as soon as this offseason.