When the Texas Longhorns fell 28-14 to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl back in January 2025, it was not just another game where a giant beat up a smaller team. That single loss wiped out Texas’s shot at playing for a national championship. For a program with direct national title hopes, it showed just how brutal the current college football system can be when you take on heavyweights early.

After dropping two games to Ryan Day’s Buckeyes in 2025, Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte laid out his non-negotiable condition for keeping these blockbuster games on the schedule. Speaking on Steve Sarkisian’s radio show, Del Conte made it clear that he loves high-stakes matchups, but not if they ruin Texas’s season before the playoffs even start.

“I want to play Ohio State. I want to play Michigan. I want to play Notre Dame. But I don’t want it to be a detriment to (the program),” he said. “What the nation wants is big games, but if the playoff does not expand, you don’t want to be punished. The playoffs have to expand.”

HornSports posted a snippet of this conversation in an X post about one of the talked-about topics in college football. Del Conte’s warning comes at a critical time, as college leaders and TV networks like ESPN race against the clock to finalize the next playoff format. 

Del Conte has always been a vocal supporter of giant non-conference games. He wants to honor the home-and-home deals Texas set up with Ohio State and Michigan. These terms were pushed back after the Longhorns left the Big 12 to join the SEC. 

Moving to the SEC cost Texas serious money, time, and logistical effort. In fact, missing the postseason in 2025 was a bitter pill to swallow for a fan base used to winning.

“When we joined the SEC, I had to reverse our schedules, had to go to the Big Ten twice in order for us to get in early. That was a price I was willing to pay to get in early, take no TV revenue, and I had to switch the two games around — go there first,” Del Conte said, per Burnt Orange Nation.

What do the negotiations look like?

The SEC is pushing for a 16-team format, spearheaded by commissioner Greg Sankey. On the flip side, the Big Ten, the umbrella group of the Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines, wants a 24-team format. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish is an FBS independent team and has the luxury of not being tied to a conference slate. 

Their athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, is on the 24-team side. The SEC and Big Ten make the final call on the new CFB model. A decision has not been reached; negotiations have stalled for over a year. Del Conte has made his points once again without specifying which model the Longhorns prefer.

He argued that 138 Power Four teams fight for 12 spots, a gross disproportion when compared to the NFL. The pro league qualifies 12 teams out of 32 for the playoffs. This dissonance has him pushing for an expansion. 

For Texas specifically, this math is a matter of survival. In a tight 12-team bracket, dropping a single high-profile non-conference game against Ryan Day’s Buckeyes almost wipes out their playoff buffer before SEC play even begins.

But in a 16-team or 24-team format, a multi-loss Texas squad that plays a grueling SEC schedule and a marquee Big Ten powerhouse would still easily lock up an at-large bid. Expansion removes the punishment for taking tough games, giving Del Conte the safety net he needs to keep Ryan Day and the Buckeyes on the Texas schedule.

Greg Sankey’s demands for a 24-team expansion

In the midst of stalled negotiations and a 2:1 status quo, the SEC finds itself singled out and might just agree to it. 

However, Commissioner Greg Sankey has asked several questions that his conference, which includes the Longhorns since 2024, needs answered. According to The Athletic, Sankey has reiterated the SEC’s priorities. 

If the conference drops its title game, the lost revenue must be compensated by the playoff money. The SEC’s championship game is the most lucrative among the Power 4 conferences, estimated to bring in about $100 million per year. 

Sankey also demands that his conference teams face at least one nonconference game against other Power 4 opponents. The only conference that disagrees with this is the Big Ten. By December, the Power 4 have to reach common ground. Whether the Longhorns face any damage in the way only time can tell.