Lane Kiffin Explains Why He Supports A 24-Team College Football Playoff

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin voiced his support for expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams during Sunday's Zoom call with reporters, saying the SEC's move to a nine-game conference schedule makes expansion necessary.

Kiffin believes the SEC's depth and difficult schedules could leave several deserving teams out of the current 12-team playoff format.

"When the decision was made by the league to go to nine games, in my opinion, I felt we have to go to 24," Kiffin said.

"We're going to have seasons with a lot of nine-win teams that may be really good teams. And so you need to go to 24, or else you're just going to knock out teams that might be really good."

"I think my point of going 24 was just gives you a better chance to get the right teams in," Kiffin said. "This way it's not such a big deal who's 11 and 12 and who did you play and all that, and trying to compare teams with totally different strength of schedules."

Kiffin was also asked about the future of conference championship games and whether they still benefit teams competing for a national championship.

While he stopped short of advocating for eliminating the SEC Championship Game, Kiffin questioned whether playing another physical opponent immediately before the playoffs puts teams in the best position to win a national title.

"Yes, it's neat, and it's great to win the SEC and have a banner and that, but the value of where that puts you in the position to make the strongest run in the playoffs," Kiffin said.

"People say battle-tested. No, no, you want to be in the best shape as you get in the playoffs from a health standpoint."

Kiffin added that playing another physical SEC opponent in a championship game isn't necessarily the best preparation for a playoff run, especially when considering the risk of injuries.

"It's just the dynamics of whether you want to be in it or not, to me, have changed," Kiffin said.

The proposed 24-team playoff is expected to begin next season, with "19 at-large bids, the Power 4 conference champions as determined by each league and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team," according to ESPN.