Texas Longhorns’ coach Mack Brown advocates for a revamped college football playoff system, emphasizing
Mack Brown, the renowned head coach of the Texas Longhorns from 1998 to 2013, has long been a prominent figure in college football. His deep knowledge of the game and decades of experience have given him a unique perspective on the sport’s evolution. One of the issues that has consistently drawn his attention, especially in recent years, is the structure of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system. As college football’s landscape continues to change, with realignment, increased media rights, and greater financial stakes, the existing playoff system has come under scrutiny.
In his typical thoughtful and strategic manner, Mack Brown has increasingly advocated for a revamped College Football Playoff system that addresses several flaws he believes exist in the current format. His arguments are grounded in fairness, competition, and the long-term health of the sport—factors that Brown has always prioritized as both a coach and a leader in college football. Over the years, Brown has built a reputation for fighting for what he believes is best for the game, whether it’s advocating for improved player safety, better scheduling practices, or greater opportunities for underrepresented programs to shine on the national stage.
As the debate surrounding the playoff structure has intensified in recent seasons, Brown has voiced his concerns regarding the exclusion of certain deserving teams, the potential negative impact on the sport’s integrity, and the need to ensure that college football remains inclusive and accessible to all conferences, programs, and players. His proposed changes to the playoff system have sparked conversation across the football community and are designed to better reflect the sport’s diverse and competitive nature.
Under the current College Football Playoff system, only four teams are selected to compete for a national title each year. While this playoff format has provided some exciting and dramatic matchups, it has also been a source of controversy. The selection committee’s subjective nature has led to criticism that the system is biased toward power conferences and high-profile programs, often excluding deserving teams from Group of Five conferences, as well as some strong teams from power conferences that fail to win their respective league championships.
Mack Brown has been outspoken about the inequities in the current system, particularly when it comes to how teams are selected for the playoff. His main concern is that the four-team format places too much emphasis on conference championships and perceived strength of schedule, while disregarding other important factors such as head-to-head competition, non-conference performance, and overall team development.
One of Brown’s central arguments is that the current system creates a “winner-takes-all” mentality, where only the most visible programs are given a chance to compete for a national championship. Programs like Texas, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, with their wealth of resources and storied histories, often dominate the playoff field, leaving little room for teams from mid-tier conferences to break through. This leads to a lack of representation from a wide variety of teams and fanbases, which Brown believes diminishes the excitement and inclusiveness of the postseason.
The four-team playoff system, in its current form, leaves out deserving programs and creates a situation where only a small handful of teams are seen as contenders for the national title each year. For Brown, this is a failure of the sport to truly embrace its diversity and to create a playoff structure that is genuinely reflective of the national landscape. His vision of a reworked system seeks to address these disparities and foster a more inclusive and competitive postseason format.
Mack Brown has long been an advocate for expanding the College Football Playoff, arguing that a more inclusive system would allow for a more diverse group of teams to have a legitimate shot at the national title. His suggestion is simple: increase the number of teams in the playoff to allow more programs a chance to compete, while maintaining the high level of competition and excitement that college football fans crave.
One of the key components of Brown’s argument is that expanding the playoff would give more teams an opportunity to participate in the postseason, creating a more representative cross-section of college football. In recent years, teams from Power Five conferences that fail to win their respective championships, but still boast impressive records, have often been left out in favor of teams with better conference championship pedigrees. Programs like Texas, with its elite talent and strong seasons that don’t end in a conference title, have been on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff inclusion.
Brown believes that expanding the playoff would not only give these teams a shot at the national title but would also elevate the sport as a whole. He sees expansion as a way to reduce the perceived “monopoly” that the top-tier programs have on the postseason. By including more teams, Brown argues that college football will be able to showcase a broader array of talent, styles of play, and fanbases. This would enrich the national conversation around the playoff and bring more excitement to the postseason, as fans would feel that their teams have a fairer shot at competing on the grandest stage.
In an expanded playoff scenario, more teams would have the opportunity to participate in the postseason, potentially leading to increased revenue and interest across the country. Brown’s proposal also addresses the issue of parity in college football—by allowing more teams into the mix, the playoff would create a scenario in which more programs feel they have a shot to be successful on a national level. This is particularly important for schools that historically might not have had the resources or advantages of top-tier programs but have nonetheless developed strong teams capable of competing at the highest levels.
One of the most significant aspects of Mack Brown’s advocacy for a revamped playoff system is his desire to see more opportunities for Group of Five programs to participate. For years, teams from conferences like the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, and the Sun Belt have been effectively shut out of the playoff picture due to the perceived superiority of Power Five programs. Although there have been exceptions (such as the University of Central Florida’s undefeated 2017 season), these programs rarely have a path to the playoff unless they are able to go undefeated in a season, which is an almost insurmountable feat.
For Brown, this imbalance represents a missed opportunity to showcase the talent and competitiveness of smaller programs. In recent years, teams like Boise State, Memphis, and Cincinnati have had remarkable seasons, but they’ve been left on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff consideration. Brown believes that by expanding the playoff, more of these programs would be able to compete for a national title and gain the recognition they deserve.
Moreover, the lack of access for Group of Five teams also has significant recruiting implications. Many talented athletes from smaller programs feel overlooked by the College Football Playoff system, which can make it more difficult for these programs to attract top talent. Brown sees a revamped playoff system as a way to level the playing field and give these teams the exposure they need to recruit on par with Power Five schools.
The increase in playoff opportunities would allow fans to see more regional rivalries and would bring increased excitement to areas of the country where college football isn’t traditionally as dominant. For smaller conferences, the chance to have their champion included in the playoff would elevate the entire conference, leading to a more competitive landscape and a broader base of college football fans.
An expanded playoff would not only benefit the competitive aspect of the game but would also be a major financial boon for both the schools and the sport as a whole. Currently, the College Football Playoff is a multi-million-dollar enterprise, with revenue generated from television contracts, sponsorships, and game-day attendance. By increasing the number of teams in the playoff, Brown argues, the NCAA and member institutions could see a significant boost in revenue.
Increased television viewership from a broader, more inclusive playoff would attract advertisers and sponsorships, resulting in higher profits for all parties involved. Brown believes that the financial benefits would ripple down to both large and small schools, helping to ensure that the sport remains financially viable and that the resources needed for player development, facilities, and overall growth are more evenly distributed.
Moreover, expanding the playoff would undoubtedly enhance fan engagement. College football fans across the country would have more teams to cheer for and more storylines to follow. For long-suffering fanbases of programs that have traditionally been shut out of the postseason, the prospect of a legitimate shot at the national title would reignite excitement and passion for the sport. For schools like Texas, a larger playoff would increase the relevance of each regular-season game, as every team would have more at stake as they jockey for playoff positioning.
Mack Brown’s advocacy for a revamped College Football Playoff system is rooted in his deep understanding of the game, his commitment to fairness, and his desire to see college football continue to grow and evolve in a positive direction. By expanding the playoff, he believes the sport can reach new heights in terms of inclusivity, competitiveness, and fan engagement. His arguments center around the need to give more teams an opportunity to compete for a national title, particularly for smaller programs that have historically been excluded from the conversation.
As college football continues to evolve, it is clear that change is needed to ensure the sport remains competitive and exciting for fans across the country. Mack Brown’s calls for a larger, more inclusive playoff are a step in the right direction, offering a pathway to a system that truly reflects the spirit of college football—where every team, regardless of its size or history, has the opportunity to compete for the ultimate prize. With his decades of experience and leadership, Mack Brown’s vision for the future of the College Football Playoff is one that is both thoughtful and necessary for the long-term health of the sport.
