On Thursday, the Big Ten announced it will adopt a conference-only schedule for the 2020 college football season. The Big Ten is the first Power Five conference to make such an announcement.
And this could just be the tip of the iceberg.
“I’m going to predict that the College Football Playoff is going to get canceled in 2020,” Tiki Barber said on Tiki & Tierney. “I don’t think there is a good way to qualify how teams are going to play if they’re only playing conference schedules. I know that that’s a big revenue loss, but if this thing isn’t figured out by the end of December, how are you playing bowl games anyway? The bowl games are going to turn into shells of themselves.
“Can you imagine a bowl game, the pomp and circumstance of going to the Rose Bowl or the Peach Bowl or the Orange Bowl – and no fans being there?” Barber asked. “It’s all about the glitz and the glory and the pomp and the circumstance. That’s what drives the interest. If that’s eliminated because fans aren’t allowed to be there, I don’t think it makes sense at all to even hold them.”
As for the playoff, what if all five power conferences adopt a conference-only schedule? What if there are five undefeated conference champions? What if two (or three or four) conference champions have one loss? How does the committee determine who gets in and who doesn’t?
“The debate would be ridiculous,” Barber said. “I think they might cancel the College Football Playoff for 2020. It makes sense. It seems that's where they’re headed.”