If the College Football Playoff had expanded to 16 teams a year earlier, there’s a good chance Colorado wouldn’t have been watching from home.
Instead, the Buffaloes finished No. 23 in the final 2024 CFP rankings—with that road loss to Kansas being detrimental—and joining a growing list of teams left wondering: What if?
Now, Colorado athletic director Rick George is making sure that conversation doesn’t fade into the offseason. George has publicly thrown his support behind an expanded 16-team playoff, aligning with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, who’s become one of the most vocal advocates for the proposed 5+11 format—five automatic qualifiers and eleven at-large bids.
And for a program trying to fight its way into national relevance under Deion Sanders, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The Case for 5+11
In response to Yormark’s ESPN interview endorsing the 16-team model, George posted on X, “Agree with our Commish!!” It was a short but meaningful message from a leader who understands exactly what’s at stake for this program.
Agree with our Commish!! https://t.co/tmOFB8h6SZ
— Rick George (@RickGeorgeCU) May 30, 2025
The 5+11 format represents access. It’s a path for teams like Colorado, BYU, and Iowa State—programs that may not always win their conference, but consistently hover near the Top 25—are capable of making postseason noise.
Under last year’s structure, only Arizona State qualified from the Big 12. But three others—BYU (No. 17), Iowa State (No. 18), and Colorado (No. 23)—were in striking distance. With 16 teams, they would have had a legitimate shot.
The margin is razor thin in today’s CFP, especially for teams outside the Big Ten or SEC. In a conference as competitive as the Big 12, second place might as well be last. And George knows that better than anyone.
Rick George: The Architect of Modern CU Athletics
Since returning to Boulder in 2013, Rick George has reimagined what Colorado Athletics could be.
He’s overseen the $156 million Champions Center expansion, secured record-breaking fundraising totals, and helped engineer Colorado’s transition into a nationally competitive brand—culminating in the high-profile hiring of Deion Sanders in 2022.
But as much as George has built internally, he’s now turned his focus outward—toward the systems and structures that govern postseason access.
His push for a 16-team playoff isn’t just about fairness. It’s about making sure programs like Colorado, with national reach but without SEC-level political sway, have a real seat at the table.
Consensus or Chaos?
The expanded 12-team CFP format just debuted last season, but the 16-team conversation has already gained momentum.
According to reports from ESPN’s Heather Dinich, the format has growing support from the ACC, Big 12, and several athletic directors across the FBS. But the model’s fate ultimately rests in the hands of the sport’s biggest power brokers—the SEC and Big Ten.
Their approval is key. And George, along with Yormark, is putting pressure on the process.
“I think there's real momentum for 5+11,” Yormark said this week. “It’s fair. It’s what our fans want. They don’t want an invitation. They want a true playoff system.”
For us fans in Boulder, those words echo deeply.
Colorado has obviously never qualified for the College Football Playoff—under the four-team (got close in 2016), or now the 12-team format. But under a 16-team field with room for at-large talent, that barrier might crack.
More Teams, More Dreams
Rick George is pushing for equity. For access. For a college football postseason that rewards performance, not just pedigree.
The 2025 Buffs will have another shot. But if the current format remains, their margin for error will be almost nonexistent. A single loss in the Big 12 might knock them out. Two? Forget it.
That’s why this matters now.
A 16-team playoff wouldn’t just change Colorado’s future—it would validate the journey George, Coach Prime, and this roster have been on for the past three seasons.
And if the sport's decision-makers are paying attention, they’ll realize: college football only gets better when more teams have a shot to prove they belong.
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