{
  "id": 18571326,
  "title": "Nick Saban says the upcoming 24-team College Football Playoff will include 'too many' teams",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/nick-saban-says-the-upcoming-24-team-college-football-playoff-will",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-06T21:30:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/nick-saban-says-the-upcoming-24-team-college-football-playoff-will-include-too-many-teams-213015202.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Alabama coach Nick Saban expressed his disapproval of the upcoming 24-team College Football Playoff, stating that it would include too many teams. During a podcast with Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce, Saban questioned the rationale behind expanding the playoff to 24 teams, given that only a limited number of teams have the capability to win the national championship. The former coach emphasized the value of the conference championship games, which are expected to be phased out in the expanded playoff format. He lamented the loss of a tradition that held significant meaning for players and fans alike. Saban also criticized the additional conference championship games that would be required under the 24-team structure, as teams would be forced to play an extra non-conference game against a power conference opponent. The expansion of the playoff could potentially lead to an increased number of games for individual teams, with some teams potentially playing as many as 17 games. Saban argued that a smaller 12-team playoff would be more feasible and fair, allowing for a more focused and manageable tournament while still maintaining a high level of competition.",
  "summary": "Teams could play as many as 17 games in a season in 2027 even with the dissolution of conference championship games.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}