‘Alliance’ Fights Back Against Rumors That It Collectively Rejected CFP Expansion

ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 commissioners refuted rumors that they colluded to reject expansion of the College Football Playoff.

Leaders in the Alliance, a group formed between the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 prior to the 2021 college football season, pushed back against rumors that the triumvirate collectively agreed to reject expansion of the College Football Playoff.

“I think that’s a narrative that certain folks benefit from having out there even if it’s not true,” Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff told ESPN. 

“When we’re talking about what it should look like, or when should we make the decision, we have real differences of opinion. And it just so happens that each of us came to our own conclusion about why we couldn’t vote yes to the proposal that was on the table. And I think we’ve all been public now that others have decided for us that we’re going to air our laundry as opposed to make a decision in the room and then announce the decision,” Kliavkoff added.

ACC commissioner Jim Phillips was much more concise when asked about whether or not the ’Alliance’ came together to reject expansion.

“There isn’t a voting bloc,” Phillips said.

The College Football Playoff will remain at four teams through the end of the current contract in 2026. This came after the 8–3 vote against expansion that took place last week with 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick.

The conference commissioners and Swarbrick had been meeting consistently for months, as the group tried to agree on terms of potential expansion to eight or 12 teams. 

The pressure was on the College Football Playoff to expand, and access to the College Football Playoff for Group of Five schools came to the forefront. 

This past season, Cincinnati became the first Group of Five participant in the seven-year history of the College Football Playoff.

Whether or not Group of Five schools will continue to garner serious consideration for the College Football Playoff remains to be seen. The issues present with college football’s bowl season likely aren’t going away any time soon either.

The College Football Playoff now won’t expand until 2026, but as fingers continue to be pointed every which direction, the ’Alliance’ insists they didn’t collude on the rejection of expansion.