This Week in the West: Big Ten commissioner talks radical CFP format, Pac-12 expansion and a nugget in the ACC settlement

The offseason is definitely not the slow season as yet another week delivered news impacting both the Pac-12 legacy schools and other universities across the region.

Here are three developments you might have missed.

1. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti talks future CFP format

Nitty gritty: Petitti is the man behind the radical 4-4-2-2-1 playoff model that would grant the Big Ten and SEC four automatic bids, but he had not publicly explained his reasoning until appearing on Fox analyst Joel Klatt’s podcast earlier this week.

Why it matters: Petitti doesn’t care for the spotlight and can get away with radio silence on most policy issues. But not when it comes to the College Football Playoff and a format that would dramatically alter the sport’s competitive landscape beginning with the 2026 season.

The Hotline was critical of his silence (as were other media outlets). College sports is not like the corporate world; it’s not even like professional sports. As gatekeepers to the playoff, the conference commissioners must make their case to the public. Petitti’s silence allowed the SEC’s Greg Sankey to gain control of the narrative and position his conference in opposition to Petitti’s proposal.

That was a big problem for the Big Ten.

Interestingly, Petitti chose a friendly space to finally explain himself, since Fox is the Big Ten’s primary media partner. And he made good points.

There’s considerable merit to the AQ model, in which 13 of the 16 bids would be reserved for automatic qualifiers. (The SEC and Big Ten would receive four each; the ACC and Big 12 would receive two; one would be reserved for the top team outside the Power Four.)

Primarily, it would promote marquee non-conference matchups because only the results within league play would matter to the qualification process.

That said, the SEC, ACC and Big 12 have good reason to support the so-called 5+11 format in which there would be five berths for conference champions and 11 at-large slots. (In our view, the ACC and Big 12 don’t have a choice.)

The CFP needs resolution by December so ESPN can begin planning its programming for the fall of 2026.

Sankey has been involved in college sports for his entire career and understands the need to bring the public along as this momentous process plays out.

Petitti finally appears to have grasped that reality, but it could be too late. The Big Ten’s radical plan has lost momentum.

2. Pac-12 adds Texas State for 2026

Nitty gritty: The rebuilt conference landed the final school needed to meet Football Bowl Subdivision certification requirements prior to its revival on July 1, 2026.

Why it matters: The conference had eight schools locked up last fall, but Gonzaga doesn’t count toward the FBS minimum. Nine months later — and on the third anniversary of USC and UCLA announcing they were leaving for the Big Ten — the Pac-12 secured its future.

The conference could add football- or basketball-only schools in coming weeks but no longer has a hole in its membership that must be filled.

And for the first time, the Pac-12’s borders will extend into the Central Time Zone — into a state where money flows and football is king.

As the Hotline noted Monday following the official announcement, Texas State is “certainly not Texas or Texas A&M or even Texas Tech … But in some regards, (the Bobcats) will serve the same purpose, just on a relative basis.”

Commissioner Teresa Gould clearly believes Texas State is a valuable chip for the long haul.

“They’re relentless; they’re going to invest; they’re going to position themselves to compete at the highest level,” Gould said during an appearance on ‘Canzano & Wilner: The Podcast’ that covered a slew of issues.

“They were a perfect fit in terms of our competitive aspirations.”

Those aspirations are based on establishing the rebuilt Pac-12 as the fifth-best conference in the FBS and claiming a playoff berth — regardless of the format — on a regular basis.

3. ACC settlement terms with Florida State, Clemson disclosed

Nitty gritty: The conference and its rebellious members agreed to drop litigation against each other back in March but only now is the completed version available for public inspection.

The drop in departure costs is exactly what was reported months ago: Starting in 2030, schools can leave for $75 million.

Why it matters: The ACC is the next rupture point for the sport, with Florida State and Clemson hoping to jump to the SEC or Big Ten as soon as it becomes financially feasible.