Northwestern HC David Braun Takes Stance on CFP Expansion.
NorthwesternThe Blue Devils’ leader challenges the elimination of conference titles, advocating for an on-field qualifying system that prioritizes merit over committee rankings in the expanded postseason era. It's official: the College Football Playoff will make the seismic shift to a 24-team playoff next season, doubling in size from the 12-team format that existed from 2024 to 2026.
The obvious driving force behind the revamped system is more money for the networks and conferences. However, expansion has also received support from programs who view this as an opportunity to level the playing field and continue to encourage the newfound parity of college football in the NIL era.
One example of this is Northwestern head coach David Braun, who weighed in on the big news at the podium on Monday . "It allows for things to be settled on the field," Braun explained.
The Wildcats, who dropped a second straight conference game to No. 16 Iowa on Saturday to fall to 6-3 on the season, had put together a decent resume before traveling to Oregon on Halloween, sporting a sole one-score loss to No. 6 Indiana from early in the season. Nov 7, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes linebacker Cam Buffington (33) and linebacker Landyn van Kekerix (23) tackle Northwestern Wildcats running back Caleb Komolafe (5) during the second half at New Ryan Field.
KEY POINTS
- Duke HC Manny Diaz Responds to CFP Expansion to 24 Teams.
- Northwestern head coach David Braun explained why he believes the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams is in the best interest of the sport.
- The five-year, $1.7 billion deal with ESPN will also eliminate Power 4 conference championship games, move the date of the Army-Navy game, and shift the playoff schedule up, among other changes.
- But after the close loss in Eugene, Braun's squad couldn't find their footing without quarterback Aidan Chiles (upper body) and was dispatched easily by a score of 24-10 at Ryan Field.