Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti says the conference would likely eliminate its league championship game if college football moves to a 24-team playoff. Speaking at Big Ten football media days, Petitti framed the issue as a tradeoff between preserving the traditional conference title game and supporting what he describes as a preferred postseason format. He indicated that if the league decides to pursue a 24-team playoff, the discussion would naturally include what changes are needed to accommodate that structure, including whether a conference championship game remains necessary.
The reports describe Petitti’s position that the Big Ten would approach the decision collectively—starting with whether the conference supports a 24-team playoff—before determining the implications for its internal schedule. The coverage does not provide details on how that outcome would be implemented, such as timing, scheduling alternatives, or effects on teams and bowl or playoff qualification. Overall, the sources converge on Petitti’s message that moving to a 24-team playoff would come with the “sacrifice” of ending the Big Ten championship game, though the discussion is presented as conditional on the adoption of the expanded postseason.
