Ohio State announced that head coach Ryan Day supports expanding the College Football Playoff beyond its current 12-team format.
Day outlined his vision for playoff expansion during an interview with Stephen A. Smith. The Buckeyes coach believes the current system works but needs expansion.
“I like the playoff system. I think it allows your team to grow and to build as the season goes on.”
Day’s program won the national championship last season under the expanded format.
The coach praised how teams can develop throughout the extended postseason. He pointed to Ohio State’s championship run as proof the system works.
“I think it’s good to watch your team grow and learn, and then the best team at the end of the year has the chance to win. So that part, watching us last year, how we grew and how we learned from a couple of setbacks, I think was a great story.”
Ohio State earned the No. 2 seed this season despite losing the Big Ten Championship to Indiana last Saturday.
Day proposed expanding to 20 teams total. He cited concerns about teams skipping bowl games as a reason for further expansion.
“I would be in favor of expanding the field. I would go all the way to 20 [teams]. I think it’s good for football, I think it’s good for everybody, you’re seeing teams opt-out of Bowl games, which is not good for the sport, and I think the more teams that we can involve in the postseason, the better.”
The coach also addressed conference championship implications under any expanded format.
“When you look at that part of it, I think that’s great. I do think that having conference championships, if it’s going to stay at this level, I guess, would make some sense, because if you win your conference, then you should be in.”
The current 12-team College Football Playoff begins next Friday. Day’s comments come as the format enters its second year after expanding from four teams.
Ohio State enters the playoff as defending national champions and the No. 2 overall seed.
