You know that feeling when you think you’ve finally cracked the code, only to realize the rules are about to change? Yeah, that’s exactly where college football is headed. Just when programs started wrapping their heads around a 12-team playoff, the suits in charge are back in the lab cooking up something even bigger. A 14 or even 16-team playoff? That’s the latest talk on the street, and let’s just say; not everyone’s thrilled about it. The power conferences are making their moves, and the Big Ten and SEC are stacking chips while the Big 12 and ACC are out here trying to make sure they don’t get left in the dust.

Tuesday’s meeting at the Grand Hyatt DFW Airport had all the big dogs (10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s AD) in attendance, talking about how this playoff shake-up might go down. Eight hours later, nothing low-key set in stone, but one thing’s clear—the blueprint is changing, and fast. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark finally spoke up on the matter, breaking the silence on what’s next for the CFP. Meanwhile, Penn State’s big-time key member is raising an eyebrow, wondering if college football is about to go way off the rails.

When you’re sitting at a table with the guys who hold the keys to the future of college football, you better make your voice heard. Yormark, who’s been leading the Big 12 with a ‘no fear, all gas’ mentality, made it clear that discussions are happening, but we’re still in the data-gathering stage. “It’s too early to determine that,” Yormark said, keeping it vague but letting folks know the Big 12 isn’t just going to sit back and take whatever the power conferences throw at them. “We had a really good discussion. The CFP is going to run some models and then come back to us next month. You know what? Good, heartfelt discussions and everyone gave their point of view. We’ll vet it out and see what happens.”

Translation? They know something big is coming. But they’re making sure the numbers don’t leave the Big 12 and ACC out in the cold. Right now, under the proposed model, the Big Ten and SEC could scoop up almost half the available playoff spots, while the ACC and Big 12 would each get two automatic bids, and the Group of Five? Yeah, they’re looking at just one. You think that’s fair? Because a whole lot of folks outside of the Big Ten and SEC sure don’t.

While some commissioners are nodding along, Yormark’s playing it smart. He’s keeping things tight-lipped, waiting for the “models” (aka, data) to come in. But let’s be real—if those models show the Big 12 getting a raw deal, you better believe he’s not going down without a fight.

Penn State’s AD Pat Kraft ain’t so sure about all this expansion talk

Now, while the commissioners are debating the size of the playoff, Penn State’s Athletic Director Pat Kraft is looking at the bigger picture—specifically, how much football is too much football? “I don’t think it’s a bad thing to go to 14 or 16,” Kraft admitted. “The more teams in and the more kind of tournament you have, I think it’s great. We just have to continue to look at all the other aspects of that.” But then he dropped the real question: “If you have 16, what are we gonna play into? March? We go into February?”

It’s one thing to add more teams; it’s another to start pushing college football deeper into the calendar. Kraft isn’t wrong to be concerned. Football players are still students, which is what the NCAA keeps reminding us. And extending the season means less recovery time, more risk of injury, and more strain on these young athletes. “My football players do go to class. they’ve got to go to school. So what are we doing? We have to understand the bigger impact of that.”

His concern isn’t just about the playoff; it’s about the entire football calendar. Recruiting, scheduling, practice time—it’s all a delicate balance. “We have to look at the football calendar. With recruiting and everything else, it’s like Frankenstein. It’s bits and pieces from years of just putting this here, putting that there, and we’re in a totally new world. So that’s first and foremost.”

And let’s not forget the bye week issue. If the playoff expands to 16 teams, that could mean fewer byes, making the road to a title even more brutal. “If you’re going to add two more games, you go to 16, no one really gets a bye,” Kraft said. “And I gotta be honest. I don’t know if that’s good, bad, or indifferent right now.”

Right now, it’s all just talk—but this talk is shaping the future of college football. The commissioners are trying to find the balance between money (let’s be honest, that’s what’s really driving this) and keeping the sport intact. The SEC and Big Ten are sitting pretty, while the Big 12 and ACC are making sure they don’t get shoved into the shadows. And then you’ve got folks like Kraft who are looking past the dollar signs and asking, ‘How much is too much?’

The next meeting in March could give us some real answers. But one thing is clear: college football is never going to be the same. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing? Well, that depends on who you’re asking.