An unpopular opinion is gaining traction.
Big names in college football are arguing to exclude the Group of Five teams originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The most common reaction following the final college football playoff bracket is to complain about who got in vs who did not. Whether it’s a four-team field, 12-team field or a possible 24-team field, someone is going to believe they got snubbed.
This year, the biggest complaint was leaving out Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish in turn, opted out of the non-playoff bowl game they were slated to play. After the Notre Dame dust settled, a different complaint began to surface.
Transitioning to a playoff and away from the previous BCS system was a move in the right direction. Head-to-head matchups are favorable to computers and rankings to determine a champion. However, the format and criteria have been something debated since the playoff’s inception.
One of the new factors the 12-team expanded field presents is the inclusion of teams and conferences believed to be dramatically below those of the Power 4. While the college football playoff is a good idea and can be many things, one thing it is not, is the NCAA tournament.
Despite the optimism of those who support the Group of Five conferences, there is no evidence to suggest college football will ever see a Valparaiso, George Mason, or Florida Gulf Coast type of run in the college football playoff. The sports are different and what allows for a Cinderella to get far in the NCAA tournament is beyond unlikely in a college football playoff.
It comes down to a question of stage. To be more specific, competition, revenue, and player acquisition. The entirety of college football is a top-heavy situation. The vast majority of top players reside in the Power 4. The bulk of money spent, is spent by teams in the Power 4. The majority of top end competition is played among the Power 4. Resulting in a dynamic that creates a David vs Goliath situation where David has virtually no chance of being the last man standing.
Nick Saban on the inclusion of the Group of Five
Former Alabama coach Nick Saban voiced this argument on the Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. Saban’s comments hit two very important ideas. The competition and talent levels are not similar and more importantly, the answer is to give teams and conferences below the Power 4 their own playoff or tournament.
Legendary coach Nick Saban shares his thoughts on JMU making it to the CFP over Notre Dame 👀
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 18, 2025
(via @patmcafeeshow) pic.twitter.com/CQBvMPjEE0
The competition aspect is a factor that will get pushback from interested parties representing the Group of Five. However, Saban’s follow up point might be just as worth considering. “To me, if you’re not in the top 15, I don’t care what league you’re in, you shouldn’t make the playoff,” said Saban on McAfee. “These guys ought to have their own playoff. If it’s all about money, give them the money. $4M for a first round game right? Give them the $4M and let Notre Dame and Oregon play.”
Saban is hinting at something that needs to be discussed. Instead of bringing a Group of Five team up to the college football playoff to be cannon fodder for the elite of the Power 4, why not give the Group of Five and other Div 1 conferences its own playoff system with its own playoff trophy? It could create two different ideas. A playoff with 12 of the best teams in the country fighting for the Power 4 playoff trophy, while a larger playoff field of Division 1 teams that do not include the Power 4 could become college football's answer to the NCAA tournament.
Josh Pate on the inclusion of the Group of Five
Josh Pate of the Josh Pate College Football show on YouTube was a recent guest on Bussin with The Boyz podcast and gave a quick summation of why he doesn’t believe Group of Five teams belong in a Power 4 college football playoff.
The long and short of Pate’s take is, it's not about whether James Madison or Tulane can win a playoff game, they don’t play meet the baseline of struggle to qualify. Pate also revealed that “Group of Five teams can’t win” should not be the argument. If either team was to beat Oregon or Ole Miss, that entire argument would fall apart. However, the rigors of a Power 4 schedule when compared to a Group of Five schedule, to Pate’s point, are not comparable.
Josh Pate gives his take on G5 teams being in the playoff pic.twitter.com/lECQP6TJsk
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) December 13, 2025
“They’re not playing the same sport,” Pate said. “I don’t judge you on what I think you’re capable of, I judge you on what I think you earned. And my very basic stance on G5 is the strength of schedule they play, does not warrant inclusion into the playoff.”
Paul Finebaum on the inclusion of the Group of Five
Finebaum is a massive proponent of the SEC. His overall approach to the college football playoff should be about putting the twelve best teams in the country into a playoff field. Finebaum has been clear that he’s not interested in participation trophies or being ‘fair’ to all teams considered.
In a recent debate on First Take, Finebaum hinted at but ultimately softened on the idea that the college football playoff should the “SEC invitational plus Ohio State and Indiana”. While that did come on the heels of him lobbying for a three-loss Texas team to get in, it does speak to a larger concern. Is the college football playoff a party everyone should get invited to in the essence of fairness? Or is the playoff about finding a champion and low level fairness shouldn’t be part of the equation?
While Saban and Pate provided reasonable takes without adding vitriol or an adopted tone, Finebaum aims to spare no feelings. In his rant on ESPN’s Get Up over a week ago, Finebaum proclaims, “It’s time to get rid of the G5 schools,” Finebaum proclaimed. “I’m not going to give you the with all due respect because I don’t really care about Tulane or James Madison. They’re both going to lose by 25 to 45 points, they’ll be unwatchable games, get them out of the playoff.”
"It's time to get rid of the G5 schools."@finebaum weighs in on what he would do to fix the CFP system 👀 pic.twitter.com/Q9k0BZIbNU
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 9, 2025
The fairness argument is understandable. However, these analysts bring up considerable points. From sports writers and the coaches poll to the BCS to the 4-team playoff to the now 12-team playoff, football viewers and especially the NCAA might need to start asking themselves one question. Is the playoff about fairness or is it about the best twelve teams?
If it’s the twelve best teams, devoid of a fairness aspect, Notre Dame and BYU are likely in, while Tulane and James Madison would be left out. The only analytical or statistical argument to be made for Group of Five teams is from the perspective of ‘fairness’.
There is a larger question to pose. If the inclusion of the Group of Five is about fairness and attempting to capture the allure of the NCAA Tournament, why not do exactly that? Separate of the Power 4 college football playoff. Create a Division 1 championship series that includes the teams that would otherwise be left out.
One way or the other, it seems the NCAA might have some tweaking to consider. The ACC plans to address conference tie breakers to avoid the current situation of no ACC champion in the playoff. The Group of Five argument should come next. All four Power 4 conference champions getting in is another idea bound to be heard. To Saban's point, the NCAA should be trying to improve the system each and every year. Including revisiting Group of Five teams in the college football playoff.
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