Why Bret Bielema and the Big Ten are arguing for a 24-team College Football Playoff
The sixth-year Illinois coach goes long with The Inside Zone: "I think it’s gonna amplify what we’ve already seen to a thousand levels higher."
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — If you know anything about Bret Bielema, you know that he will alway stick up for the Big Ten.
The Illinois coach did just that last offseason, seemingly going on a media tour to pump up his program and his conference after the Illini posted a 10-win season and the Big Ten won a second consecutive national title.
The Big Ten then made it three championships in three years in 2025, with Indiana completing the trifecta that had been started by Michigan (2023) and Ohio State (2024). Illinois was no slouch itself, going 9-4 and beating an SEC team (Tennessee) in a bowl game for the second consecutive season, completing the winningest two-year run (19) in program history.
On Feb. 13, a document leaked to ESPN.com detailing Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti’s plans for a 24-team College Football Playoff. Though the Illini would have been just outside of the hypothetical bracket in 2025, they figure to be one of the main teams that would benefit from this proposed new postseason system.
I sat down with Bielema in his office on Friday to cover a number of topics. But his thoughts on the future Playoff format ended up dominating most of the conversation.
Here is our exchange on the 24-team system, which has been widely derided across the country but has staunch support inside the conference’s footprint.
