Danny White’s opinion on playoff expansion is not sitting well with fans

Athletic director Danny White is one of the more polarizing figures in college sports. Some Tennessee fans love him, while others are more critical. He has done some strong things, especially with program funding and a business-minded approach, but some teams have been inconsistent during his tenure and a few coaching hires have been questioned. In addition, some fans have grown frustrated with consistently rising ticket prices.

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Well, White has another take that most fans probably won’t agree with. At the SEC spring meetings in Florida, he once again doubled down on his opinion about College Football Playoff expansion.

White said, “I think the percentage of teams with access to the postseason in football is low and I think we need more access."

Danny White in favor of CFP expansion

This is one of Danny White’s more controversial takes. Once again, it feels like the sport is trying to fix a problem that may not actually exist. As the saying goes, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
If a team can’t make a 12-team playoff, then maybe it simply isn’t good enough to qualify. When Tennessee made the playoff in 2024, they earned it. Last year, if the playoff had been expanded, the Vols likely would not have been a playoff team. I was okay with four teams, but I get why they expanded to 12. But more than 12 is insane.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko made a really good point the other day. Expanding the playoff mostly gives coaches more job security, so it makes sense why they’d support it. It definitely sounds better to go 8–4 and lose in the playoff than to go 8–4 and end up losing a game like the Pinstripe Bowl.

One of the great things about college football compared to the NFL has always been that every game matters. In the BCS era, even with its flaws, a team could go 11–1 and still miss the national title game. Every week carried huge stakes. Even in the four-team playoff era, one loss could ruin your season. Now, teams can go 8–4 and still squeeze into the playoffs. It raises the question of why the change was made; many argue it’s mainly for extra TV money for schools. To some fans, it feels more about greed than something the sport ever needed.

It's disappointing that Tennessee and Danny White support this idea, because there really shouldn’t be a 24-team playoff. It feels like the sport has moved more toward money and revenue than focusing on the actual games. This just gives the rest of the SEC more material to use against Tennessee. Fans are already joking that Tennessee supports it because they’re not considered a big-time program.

The whole thing is just dumb, plain and simple, and it’s unfortunate that Tennessee has become one of the programs leading this change. College football just isn’t what it used to be, and it’s sad to see.

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