Texas AD Chris Del Conte Has A Plan To Fix College Football: Tougher Schedules, Expanded Playoff

The Texas Longhorns faced a challenging 2025 season, beginning with high expectations for a National Championship run under quarterback Arch Manning and head coach Steve Sarkisian. The team, considered one of the most talented and expensive in college football, opened the season with a loss against the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes. This difficult non-conference schedule led to several unexpected defeats, resulting in a 9-3 record and a Citrus Bowl appearance instead of the College Football Playoff.

Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte commented on the scheduling strategy, emphasizing the importance of maintaining marquee matchups despite the impact on playoff chances. Del Conte supports increasing the SEC schedule to nine conference games and maintaining a robust non-conference schedule to enhance the value for fans. He also advocates for an expanded College Football Playoff, which would allow teams to schedule strong opponents without jeopardizing postseason opportunities.

Del Conte proposed several reforms, including eliminating conference championship games in favor of starting playoffs earlier, aligning with the regular season's conclusion