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USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ryan Day says CFP format, automatic bids impacting Ohio State's future schedule
The college football world will be blessed with a premier matchup between Texas and Ohio State to open the 2025 college football season. But while fans are in for a treat for the matchup between the 2024 defending national champion Buckeyes and the up-and-coming Longhorns led by sensation Arch Manning, more of these marquee matchups could be off the table if there is no change in conference schedules and the format of the current College Football Playoff. REQUIRED READING: The absurdity of absolute power. Big Ten, SEC fight to shape College Football Playoff Speaking at Big Ten media days on July 22, Day talked about future scheduling of out-of-conference games and how it could be impacted with a lack of automatic berths in the current 12-team College Football Playoff. 'If we're not going to do that, I don't think it makes sense to do that,' Day said. 'You have your nine conference games and schedule other nonconference games that aren't in the Power Four.' Despite saying that, Ohio State's upcoming matchups against SEC powerhouses Alabama and Georgia appear to be safe. The Buckeyes are scheduled to play the Crimson Tide in 2027 and 2028, and the Bulldogs in 2030 and 2031. OSU begins a home-and-home with Texas this season. 'What's scheduled is scheduled,' Day said. The Buckeyes have recently added games against Navy and Youngstown State ― a Football Championship Subdivision member ― for the 2029 season. A big reason for the philosophy from Day and the Buckeyes for a "softer" out-of-conference schedule is the number of conference games played by each of the Power 4 conferences. Like the Big Ten, the Big 12 also plays nine conference games; meanwhile, the ACC and SEC have schedules with eight conference games. 'Until there's continuity between conferences, if you're in the Big Ten, it would make no sense to have anything other than a case to have four automatic qualifiers and an expanded pool of teams,' Day said, 'because when you play nine conference games, it's not the same as someone who plays eight conference games. If you're going to be compared against that, it's just not the same.' No team ever made the four-team CFP field with more than two losses between 2014 and 2023. In the new 12-team format last season, Alabama became the first team with three losses to make the field over a two-loss team in Miami. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti's plan for a 16-team bracket that would secure four spots for the Big Ten and another four for the SEC has not gained approval and would need to be implemented before the Dec. 1 deadline to be added for the 2026 season. 'There's no reason to schedule until you have clarity,' Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said. 'You could say we're in a holding pattern.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NAIA national title football game to be played this season in Texas
Another college football national championship game will be played in the state of Texas. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recently announced that it will play its national championship game this December in Fort Worth. It will take place on Dec. 20 at the Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium, which opened in 2022. Among the stadium's tenants is the Texas Wesleyan University football program, which competes in the NAIA. Another team that calls the Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium home is North Crowley High School, which won the UIL 6A Division I state championship last season, going a perfect 16-0. Advertisement 'We couldn't be more excited to bring the NAIA Football National Championship to the Dallas-Fort Worth 'Metroplex,'' said Austin Bennett, NAIA Vice President of Championships, in a news release. 'Crowley ISD Stadium is a premier venue, allowing us to deliver a first-class championship experience to our incredible student-athletes. 'Football fans in Texas are engaged and really know the game, and we can't wait to showcase the very best of NAIA football in this vibrant community.' This season's NAIA title game will be the 70th edition. The NAIA will play postseason games on Nov. 22 and 29, as well as Dec. 6 and 13, all at campus sites, before the championship game on Dec. 20. The selection of Fort Worth is the latest college football championship game to be played in the 'Metroplex.' Since 2010, the NCAA Division I Football Championship, also known as the Football Championship Subdivision title game, has been played at Toyota Stadium in the northern suburb of Frisco, though starting in 2026, the game will be moved to Nashville, Tenn. Advertisement Also, the NCAA Division II championship game is played in another northern 'Metroplex' suburb, McKinney, with the game at McKinney ISD Stadium, which has been the title location since 2018. Last season's NCAA Division III title game took place in Houston at Shell Energy Stadium, but this season's championship contest takes place in Canton, Ohio. MORE SPORTS NEWS Former SEC head coach and offensive guru finds new role with Louisiana college program Nation's longest actively tenured athletic director at one school to announce his retirement Successful Oklahoma high school football coach receives honor from his college alma mater Advertisement Bixby (Oklahoma) standout continues family tradition with commitment to Oklahoma State Former Baylor, BYU quarterback lands coaching position at Arkansas high school Instant replay approved for Missouri high school football championship games Former Oklahoma QB commit now commits to Florida State Oklahoma high school football defensive standout commits to New Mexico Top Texas '26 tight end prospect decides to stay close to home, commits to TCU Texas Tech football lands commitment from East Texas 4-star 2026 cornerback Standout tailback from East Texas decides to stay in-state after making college commitment Advertisement ESPN's "SportsCenter" program to be on location at Texas high school football scrimmage Who made the covers of popular Texas football preseason magazine? Texas UIL football championship games to be broadcast for free via a new broadcast agreement
American Press
20-06-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Jim Gazzolo column: McNeese keeps travel bag handy
Matt Viator will return to the McNeese Cowboys. (American Press Archives) The bosses at McNeese have made it clear: if asked, the school is ready to jump at the next opportunity toward the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Having missed one if not two chances, time might be running out. Facing the hard truth, McNeese, a Football Championship Subdivision school, wasn't ready to move up over the last five years despite what it had talked about. The facilities were a mess, the football program was in disarray and, although funding was improving, it was far from ready to compete at that level. Many of those issues have been corrected or addressed. The hurricanes of 2020 forced the fixing and modernization of all sports facilities. Most of the work has been completed, but there are still projects on the board that need to be finished. The fact that things have been fixed and improved, though, does show that any league looking at it would see that the commitment from the administration is there. There has also been significant growth in funding, and McNeese is a leader at its level in the work of the name, image, and likeness department. Credit Athletic Director Heath Schroyer and his crew for thinking ahead of the curve the past few years. That, however, doesn't mean leagues will be fighting over the Cowboys. The truth is that it's a buyer's market with numerous teams looking for invitations. And while it has greatly improved its financial situation over the last half decade, McNeese's sports budget is still well behind that of places like Tarleton State, for example. That is still an uphill climb. As for the McNeese programs, it is clear that men's basketball has demonstrated its ability to compete at higher levels. Baseball and softball have also experienced similar trends over the years. Women's basketball and football need work, with a lot of eyes on the gridiron this fall. One thing McNeese has over many schools looking to move is its football tradition. Recently, that has not been the case; however, this year the Cowboys went back in time to change the direction of their future, rehiring Matt Viator as head football coach. Still, there is a lot of politicking and positioning behind the scenes that will be done if any movement is to follow for McNeese or the rest. Schroyer is, of course, good at this. While he said this week he doesn't expect an invitation to be extended, he will make a few calls just to let people know the Cowboys are interested if there is a good fit. That is why a lot is riding on this football season. And, while those games will be played out in public, there will also be a lot of talks behind the scenes that could lead to much more for McNeese. • Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@
New York Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why does the Big Ten want four automatic CFP bids? The league's case has a long history
Five months after winning its second consecutive College Football Playoff national championship, the Big Ten has emerged bruised and battered from the process of proposing automatic qualifiers for an expanded CFP beginning with the 2026 season. The Big Ten has for months recommended a CFP plan that would give four automatic bids to itself and the SEC, two each to the ACC and Big 12 and one for the top conference champion from the other six leagues (4+4+2+2+1). If the size of the postseason expands from 12 to 16, as almost all stakeholders expect, the format allows for three at-large selections to make the field. Advertisement Other conferences have come out against it, strongly so in some cases. The ACC and Big 12 are in lockstep with a '5+11' plan, which would give the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 highest-ranked at-large teams entry into the Playoff. The SEC appears to be trending in that direction, too, after commissioner Greg Sankey supplied media with a multi-page breakdown of his league's strength-of-schedule prowess last week. No longer wounded by their 1-5 record against the Big Ten during the 2024-25 postseason, Sankey and SEC officials have successfully flipped the narrative. The Big Ten now looks like the arrogant bad actor hell-bent on enriching itself at the expense of its competition and the sport. Despite the Big Ten's prolonged silence on this topic and others, people in and around the league have expressed that's not the case. The Big Ten is willing to budge on guaranteed CFP qualifiers, but the uneven number of conference games among the power leagues gives the Big Ten pause on allowing a selection committee to wield the power of placing 11 at-large teams in the CFP field. The Big Ten and Big 12 play nine league games; the SEC and ACC play eight. Thirteen of the Big Ten's 18 teams compete against at least 10 power-conference opponents in 2025; 13 of the SEC's 16 teams face only nine power-conference teams. Unless the SEC moves to nine league games, don't expect the Big Ten to move on wanting guaranteed CFP slots. There's too much scheduling variance. The Big Ten has historical grounds to distrust a system that was supposed to reward strength of schedule and other concrete metrics and instead leaned into subjectivity to make prior selections. In July 2015, former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany brought out slides and unveiled his '1910' scheduling plan, designed to make his conference champion competitive for the four-team CFP. The numbers represented one title game, nine league games, one intersectional power-conference opponent and no contests against Football Championship Subdivision competition. Delany believed his strategy would position the Big Ten well for its best team to earn a CFP spot and for non-champions to make New Year's Six bowl games. Advertisement 'I think that's responsive to what the College Football Playoff committee is looking for,' Delany said at the time. 'We think it's what our fans want. We think it's what our players want. And we think it's what the College Football Playoff committee wants.' Delany found out he was wrong, and he was furious. In 2017 and 2018, Big Ten champion Ohio State missed the CFP. It played nonconference games against Oklahoma in '17 and TCU in '18. The 2017 Buckeyes beat No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 9 Penn State and No. 16 Michigan State, but they finished fifth, behind Alabama, which beat only two teams that made the final rankings (No. 17 LSU, No. 23 Mississippi State) and didn't win its division. Considering Alabama won the national title that year, that was more of a disappointment than a snub to Delany. But in 2018, the committee disregarded the strategy with stakes one rung below the Playoff. In the final CFP rankings, Florida came in at No. 10 with LSU at No. 11 and Penn State at No. 12. All three teams were 9-3, but the SEC teams moved up to New Year's Six bowls. Again, the strength of schedule disparity chapped Delany most. Florida played four nonconference games: two FCS opponents, Colorado State (3-9) and Florida State (5-7). The Gators' three losses came by an average of 17 points. Penn State played three nonconference games, including one against ACC Coastal Division champion Pittsburgh and 11-2 Appalachian State. Penn State's losses came to 13-1 Ohio State, 10-3 Michigan and 7-6 Michigan State. Yet Delany felt the committee ignored nonconference scheduling when stacking those teams. 'The actual language in the founding document says, 'When comparing teams with similar records and similar resumes, should look at strength of schedule as well as winning conference championships,'' Delany said in 2019. 'I'm not sure that the strength of schedule or the conference championship has been adequately rewarded, in my personal view.' Advertisement The recent disagreements over selection criteria for the 12-team CFP date to what transpired in 2017 and 2018. Last year, Indiana finished 11-1 in the regular season, but a trio of 9-3 SEC teams barked about scheduling when the Hoosiers earned a CFP spot over them. Indiana's overall strength of schedule metrics were weak, but by the end of the postseason, it was the only team in the nation to play both the 2023 (Michigan, Washington) and 2024 CFP finalists (Ohio State, Notre Dame). The Hoosiers were one of just two Big Ten squads to face only nine power-conference opponents last year, but the trio of SEC teams had also played just nine power-conference teams. The nine-game schedule matters to the Big Ten because of the risks involved — it creates one extra loss for half the league compared to the SEC. Ohio State's lone conference losses in each of the 2017 and 2018 seasons came at West Division schools. Had the Big Ten played only eight league contests those years, Ohio State might not have traveled to those venues. Although the push for four guaranteed slots appears self-serving, out of the Power 4 leagues, only the Big Ten would have seen its number of CFP participants drop in the last four years with that plan compared to the 5+11 model, based on each power conference's current composition. With the 5+11 plan, the Big Ten would have qualified 20 teams, one more than the SEC (19), while the Big 12 and ACC would have 10 and nine, respectively. In a 4-4-2-2-1 model, the SEC and ACC numbers would stay the same, while the Big Ten's would drop by two and the Big 12's would rise by two. In a 5+11 plan, the SEC would have had three qualifiers in 2021 and '22 but seven in '23 and six in '24. Without uniform scheduling, Big Ten officials are concerned that an open 5+11 plan would cause more schools to ease up on their nonconference slates rather than play other power-conference schools; one recently called it a 'race to the bottom.' With guaranteed spots, nonconference games would have little impact on CFP qualification. Without guaranteed spots, teams may protect their records and not risk playing high-level nonconference games. Lastly, without divisional play in a larger conference, Big Ten officials believe guaranteed slots provide more teams with a major goal, especially if the Big Ten (and possibly the SEC) added two play-in games to decide some of its spots in a 16-team CFP. Had that format taken place last year, Indiana would have played Iowa and Illinois would have played Ohio State in December with CFP berths at stake. 'I love that,' Illinois coach Bret Bielema told The Athletic this spring. 'It makes all the games meaningful.' Advertisement The Big Ten and SEC have control over the next CFP era, so it's up to them, with consultation from other conferences, to find the best path forward. But until the Big Ten's scheduling concerns are met, don't expect it to fold anytime soon on its desire for guaranteed CFP bids. (Photo of Ohio State's 2017 Big Ten title game win: Joe Robbins / Getty Images)
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the 10 toughest Big Ten or SEC football schedules for the 2025 season
Ranking the 10 toughest Big Ten or SEC football schedules for the 2025 season Less than 12 weeks remain before the 2025 college football season kicks off. In what has become an annual tradition, this build-up period is being spent arguing which conference deserves the crown as the sport's best. Or, if the SEC is still No. 1, whether the Big Ten is now narrowing the gap. These discussions aren't only held between fans and analysts. Current Illinois and former Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema even joined the mix, arguing that the last 2-3 years of NIL and the transfer portal balancing rosters have brought the Big Ten up to the SEC's top level. While there is no definitive answer to that argument, the Big Ten did dominate the 2024 college football postseason, including a national title and numerous head-to-head wins over SEC opponents. The SEC's common retort to that argument is an outline of its conference schedule for 2025, with 14 of its 16 member teams ranked within ESPN SP+'s top 50 entering the year. While that piece of evidence matters, it discounts what Big Ten programs, primarily Wisconsin, face in 2025. The Badgers not only have by far the toughest schedule in the Big Ten, but their schedule is tougher than nearly every SEC slate. As a reminder, we utilize Connelly's initial SP+ rankings to evaluate the difficulty of every schedule. Here is our methodology: The equation used to compare each slate is simple. First, we take each team's SP+ rating to find a numerical value for every game. The higher that number, the tougher the matchup. We then add every opponent's SP+ rating together to find a total opponent score. That large number is divided by the number 12 (total games) to find the average opponent score — a number that can then be compared to the SP+ leaderboard to find, on average, what a team will face each week. (Note: Home and away is not factored into the model. Also, Football Championship Subdivision opponents are not listed in SP+. Every FCS opponent was assessed a "minus-15' rating, akin to the No. 120 team in the Football Bowl Subdivision) For specifics, here is where Wisconsin's slate ranks among the top 10 Big Ten or SEC schedules for 2025, ranked from easiest to toughest. 10. Texas A&M Aggies Total Opponent Score: 106.9 Average Opponent Score: 8.90 (akin to the 33rd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 111.8 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Auburn (11.8) Mississippi State (-1.4) Florida (17.3) Arkansas (7.0) LSU (22.1) Missouri (12.5) South Carolina (16.1) Texas (26.4) Nonconference Schedule: UTSA (0.0) Utah State (-14.8) Notre Dame (24.9) Samford (FCS -15) Get more (Texas A&M) news, analysis, and opinions on Aggies Wire 9. Arkansas Razorbacks Total Opponent Score: 109.1 Average Opponent Score: 9.09 (akin to the 33rd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 107 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Tennessee (18.4) Texas A&M (17.2) Auburn (11.8) Mississippi State (-1.4) LSU (22.1) Texas (26.4) Missouri (12.5) Nonconference Schedule: Alabama A&M (FCS -15) Arkansas State (-9.9) Memphis (2.1) Notre Dame (24.9) 8. Alabama Crimson Tide Total Opponent Score: 110.8 Average Opponent Score: 9.23 (akin to the 33rd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 126 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Georgia (26.9) Vanderbilt (1.7) Missouri (12.5) Tennessee (18.4) South Carolina (16.1) LSU (22.1) Oklahoma (16.5) Auburn (11.8) Nonconference Schedule: Florida State (7.2) LA-Monroe (-14.6) Wisconsin (7.2) Eastern Illinois (FCS -15) Get more (Alabama) news, analysis, and opinions on Roll Tide Wire Total Opponent Score: 114 Average Opponent Score: 9.50 (akin to the 33rd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 145.5 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Tennessee (18.4) Texas A&M (17.2) Florida (17.3) Texas (26.4) Arkansas (7.0) Georgia (26.9) Missouri (12.5) Ole Miss (19.8) Nonconference Schedule: Southern Miss (-17.7) Arizona State (12.2) Alcorn State (FCS -15) Northern Illinois (-11) Total Opponent Score: 114.1 Average Opponent Score: 9.51 (akin to the 33rd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 123.5 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Florida (17.3) Ole Miss (19.8) South Carolina (16.1) Vanderbilt (1.7) Texas A&M (17.2) Alabama (27.9) Arkansas (7.0) Oklahoma (16.5) Nonconference Schedule: Clemson (23.3) LA Tech (-11.9) Southeastern Louisiana (FCS -15) Western Kentucky (-5.8) Get more (LSU) news, analysis, and opinions on LSU Wire 5. Kentucky Wildcats Total Opponent Score: 119.9 Average Opponent Score: 9.99 (akin to the 32nd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 138.4 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Ole Miss (19.8) South Carolina (16.1) Georgia (26.9) Texas (26.4) Tennessee (18.4) Auburn (11.8) Florida (17.3) Vanderbilt (1.7) Nonconference Schedule: Toledo (-1.4) Eastern Michigan (-14.2) Tennessee Tech (FCS -15) Louisville (12.1) Get more (Kentucky) news, analysis, and opinions on UK Wildcats Wire 4. Oklahoma Sooners Total Opponent Score: 120.2 Average Opponent Score: 10.01 (akin to the 32nd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 155 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Auburn (11.8) Texas (26.4) South Carolina (16.1) Ole Miss (19.8) Tennessee (18.4) Alabama (27.9) Missouri (12.5) LSU (22.1) Nonconference Schedule: Illinois State (FCS -15) Michigan (21.5) Temple (-16.4) Kent State (-24.9) Get more (Oklahoma) news, analysis, and opinions on Sooners Wire 3. South Carolina Gamecocks Total Opponent Score: 127.7 Average Opponent Score: 10.64 (akin to the 32nd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 122.4 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Vanderbilt (1.7) Missouri (12.5) Kentucky (4.7) LSU (22.1) Oklahoma (16.5) Alabama (27.9) Ole Miss (19.8) Texas A&M (17.2) Nonconference Schedule: Virginia Tech (4.3) SC State (FCS -15) Coastal Carolina (-7.3) Clemson (23.3) 2. Wisconsin Badgers Total Opponent Score: 130.2 Average Opponent Score: 10.85 (akin to the 32nd-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 124.9 (first, the toughest conference schedule) Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): Maryland (-1.1) Michigan (21.5) Iowa (11.4) Ohio State (29.5) Oregon (24.7) Washington (6.4) Indiana (12.2) Illinois (14.3) Minnesota (6.0) Nonconference Schedule: Miami OH (-7.6) Middle Tennessee (FCS -15) Alabama (27.9) 1. Florida Total Opponent Score: 141.6 Average Opponent Score: 11.8 (akin to the 25th-best team in the country) Conference Schedule Score: 134.1 Conference Schedule (with SP+ rating): LSU (22.1) Texas (26.4) Texas A&M (17.2) Mississippi State (-1.4) Georgia (26.9) Kentucky (4.7) Ole Miss (19.8) Tennessee (18.4) Nonconference Schedule: LIU (FCS -15) USF (-3.5) Miami (18.8) Florida State (7.2) Get more (Florida) news, analysis, and opinions on Gators Wire Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
