Tony Petitti says Big Ten will drop championship game for 24‑team playoff as Congress debates Protect College Sports Act

Tony Petitti Big Ten 24‑team College Football Playoff Protect College Sports Act retention pool

Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti announced at the conference’s media days that the league would eliminate its championship game if college football moves to a 24‑team College Football Playoff, a change he hopes to see implemented for the 2027 season. He also pushed back on speculative “breakaway” talks with the SEC and expressed interest in more matchups between the two conferences.

At the same time, Congress is working on the Protect College Sports Act, a bill aimed at regulating college athletics. The legislation proposes a $25 million “retention pool” that would allow schools to pay current athletes to stay, including $5 million earmarked for women’s sports. Senators Ted Cruz (R‑TX) and Maria Cantwell (D‑WA) are co‑sponsors and are seeking a vote before the Senate recess on August 8. The bill also contains provisions to prevent mandatory media‑rights pooling, curb the formation of super‑leagues, and address name‑image‑likeness (NIL) compensation issues. Negotiations are ongoing with the Big Ten and SEC, and a final vote remains uncertain.

Entities

Big Ten Conference · Greg Sankey · Maria Cantwell · Protect College Sports Act · Southeastern Conference (SEC) · Ted Cruz · Tony Petitti · U.S. Senate

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The Big Ten and SEC are the highest‑profile college‑sports conferences in the United States. saturdaytradition.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] One concession would let covered conferences add non‑covered institutions up to 19 members.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Media pooling would become voluntary under the revised Protect College Sports Act.
[● 2 SOURCES] Tony Petitti expressed that it would be great for the Big Ten to play more games against the SEC. saturdaytradition.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Big Ten and SEC are scheduled to play each other only three times in the upcoming regular season. saturdaytradition.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] Co‑sponsors of the Protect College Sports Act are preparing a dozen concessions to gain support from the Big Ten and SEC.
[○ 1 SOURCE] SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has spoken of “breakaway” discussions, while Petitti has not endorsed a breakaway.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The bill proposes up to $25 million in additional money for roster retention, including $5 million for women’s institutional NIL for nine years.
[● 2 SOURCES] SEC commissioner Greg Sankey described “breakaway” talks as “real”. www.archynetys.com
[● 4 SOURCES] Tony Petitti supports expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams. www.archynetys.com · time.news · buckeyesports.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Congress set a deadline of August 8 for a vote on the Protect College Sports Act before the summer recess. abc17news.com · keyt.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Petitti said the Big Ten will continue to work with the SEC on a playoff format rather than pursue a breakaway. www.archynetys.com