Mike Gundy Slams 12-Team Playoff as ‘Only About Money,’ Proposes Major Change

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The 12-team playoff system faces another backlash, and this time it is from Mike Gundy. The format brought unexpected teams into the picture to earn more money from TV deals. Calling out this revenue grab, the former Oklahoma State head coach criticized the expansion and proposed a major change of his own to fix the system.

“I don’t think there are more than eight teams that are capable of winning a national championship each year. “It used to be four, and there was a huge debate, and we argued over who was the fifth. I get that. But the four conference champions are in, and then we’ve got to go find the next best four teams.”

“I don’t care where they come from. It would make a difference to me if they came from one conference. But if you get eight teams in, as soon as the regular season’s over, the next week you play. I believe there are only four or five that are capable. But I’m good with eight teams. I think 12 is too many, and I think 16 is way too many, unless you’re just trying to make money,” Gundy added.

The old 4-team system kept things simple and strictly for the best teams. Expanding to 12 teams gives smaller schools a chance. But many feel this lowers the actual competition level. It looks like it is just done to get more matches on TV. Take the underdog teams entering the playoff hype. It makes a good story, but people doubt if they can actually beat top heavyweights. Mike Gundy feels this expansion is not about fair sports but just a smart business move to grab huge revenue and believes that 8 teams are enough for the playoffs.

For many years, only a few big teams like Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and Ohio State have dominated college football. They keep winning championships and reaching the playoffs again and again. This is why many experts say that only about 4–5 teams are truly strong enough to win the title in any season.

Even when the playoffs had 4 teams (from 2014 to 2023), the same top programs kept appearing. This means that just adding more teams to the playoffs does not suddenly create stronger teams. It mostly includes teams that are not likely to win the championship.

Another reason the playoff is getting bigger is money. When there are more teams, there are more games. More games bring more TV deals, ticket sales, and overall income. Because of this, some people feel the playoffs are becoming more about entertainment and making money, instead of just finding the best team. This is the same point Mike Gundy is trying to make.

This money-first mindset is not just in the playoffs. For Gundy, money is changing the entire foundation of college football. The pressure to spend huge amounts of money is everywhere now, which perfectly connects to how he views Curt Cignetti’s sudden massive success at Indiana.

Mike Gundy’s bold take on Curt Cignetti’s Indiana

Curt Cignetti changed Indiana football’s face very quickly. In just two years, he takes a team that has only won three games and turns it into a national champion. This big and fast success surprises many people, including Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. Gundy explained that he was shocked by Indiana’s achievements. He also praised him for creating a strong team culture after joining in 2024.

“What Coach [Cignetti] did at Indiana was amazing from the standpoint that he brought a number of players from James Madison,” Gundy said. “They instilled his culture that he believed in. He hit a home run with Mendoza. Brings Mendoza in, Mendoza plays like Superman throughout the year, and had great work habits, great leadership. He was tough, stayed off social media, and was all about ball.”

But he also doubled down on the fact that this turnaround is putting pressure on other teams. And how the transfer portal and NIL are making things hard for other coaches who couldn’t make such high NIL bids.

“What Coach [Cignetti] did was put a lot of pressure on everybody else in the country because you’re going to have donors that are giving millions of dollars now, you’re going to have administration and athletic directors that are saying, ‘If they can do it at Indiana, why can’t you do it?'” Gundy said.

At the end of the day, Mike Gundy’s warning points to one harsh reality. Whether it is TV networks pushing for a 12-team playoff or donors funding massive player deals, college football is now all about the money. The traditional game has completely changed. What do you think? Let us know in the comments down below.

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