Michael Wilbon Criticizes ESPN and Fox Over 24-Team College Football Playoff
As the College Football Playoff (CFP) edges toward a 24-team format, Michael Wilbon isn’t shy about his disapproval. He’s called the move a shameless money grab that puts young athletes in harm’s way.
Wilbon’s not new to this fight. He’s pushed back against expansions in other sports too, like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the NFL schedule.
His latest outburst? It spotlights what he sees as hypocrisy around player safety and the messy turf wars between ESPN/ABC and Fox. There’s a lot to unpack here—Wilbon’s reasoning, the bigger picture behind CFP expansion, and what it might mean for the sport.
Contents
Michael Wilbon’s Consistent Stance
Wilbon’s been a steady critic of bloated sports schedules and tournaments. He tends to hammer two points: athletes are being exploited for profit, and organizations claiming to care about safety aren’t walking the walk.
With the 24-team CFP idea, he’s sticking to that script. Wilbon argues there just aren’t enough top-tier teams to fill out such a big bracket, and says TV networks are pushing for it just to pad their wallets.
The Hypocrisy of Health and Safety Claims
Maybe Wilbon’s strongest argument is about the so-called focus on health and safety. He says adding more games—maybe up to 18 in a season—just ramps up the risk for players.
“We hear all this nonsense about health and safety, what hypocrisy,” he says. The extra games? They’d take a real toll on young athletes, and for what?
The Scarcity of Product
He also talks about how scarcity is part of what makes college football special. “The great thing about college football is the scarcity of product,” Wilbon points out.
Right now, the season’s short, so every game means something. Blow it up to 24 teams, and you risk watering down the whole thing.
The Underlying Turf Wars
Wilbon doesn’t stop there. He calls out the networks—ESPN/ABC and Fox—for caring more about their own turf than the game or its athletes.
“This is about ESPN/ABC and Fox; this is about some turf wars going on there with conference affiliations,” he says. ESPN basically owns the CFP right now, but a bigger playoff could let Fox in, shaking up the power balance.
ESPN’s Unified Front
It’s not just Wilbon grumbling about this. Other ESPN folks are piling on too.
Kevin Clark called it a “disgrace,” Rece Davis said it was “preposterous,” Paul Finebaum went with “utterly ridiculous,” and Mike Greenberg warned it could be the end of college football “as we know it.”
Financial Implications
There’s no getting around the money. More games means more ads, more tickets, more TV deals—everyone cashes in.
But Wilbon thinks the price is just too steep. The networks and the NCAA rake in the cash, while the athletes—who aren’t exactly rolling in money—are the ones who pay for it, physically and otherwise.
Conclusion: The Future of College Football
The debate over CFP expansion is heating up. It’s important to look at the bigger picture here.
Wilbon’s arguments point out some real concerns. Putting money ahead of player safety and the spirit of the sport could backfire.
Sure, more games sound fun for fans and TV networks. But what happens to the athletes and the game itself down the road?
For more on Michael Wilbon’s critique, check out the full article on Awful Announcing here.
As Wilbon says, *More and more and more just can be glutenous, it doesn’t have to be better.* Maybe it’s time to ask: what’s really best for college football?
