Overview
- ACC commissioner Jim Phillips urged expanding the College Football Playoff beyond 12 teams, saying 16 is under serious consideration with a Jan. 23 deadline to decide the 2026 format.
- Phillips called for rethinking the CFP’s weekly ranking reveals and said the ACC will review its tiebreaker policy, including potential incorporation of CFP rankings after this year’s five-way tie.
- Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark condemned Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua’s response as “egregious,” noting head-to-head criteria favored Miami over Notre Dame.
- Reporters said the ACC mistakenly CC'd Notre Dame on internal emails promoting Miami’s case to the committee, a blunder that further strained relations.
- ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Paul Finebaum blasted Notre Dame’s public stance and bowl opt-out, while Nielsen data showed the Irish ranked 15th in average viewership this season.