The Big 12 Conference, spearheaded by Commissioner Brett Yormark, is a fervent proponent of the 5+11 College Football Playoff format, a structure widely supported by its coaches as the optimal path forward. This proposed 16-team playoff model allocates automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions, with the remaining eleven berths awarded as at-large selections. This approach fundamentally aligns with the Big 12’s philosophy of “earning it on the field,” prioritizing on-field performance over predetermined conference allocations.Unlike models that might guarantee a fixed number of spots for certain conferences, the 5+11 format ensures that every conference champion, including the