Jake Dickert on losing championship games with CFP expansion: 'Why do we have conferences?'

Coverage from multiple outlets on November 10, 2026, details the ripple effects of College Football Playoff expansion to a 24-team format. WBTV reports that 2026 will mark the final year for the ACC Championship Game, signaling a structural shift in how conference champions are determined. On3 captures Washington State head coach Jake Dickert's pointed reaction, quoting his rhetorical question: 'Why do we have conferences?' as he addresses the diminishing stakes of championship games under the expanded playoff system. Sports Illustrated publishes a winners-and-losers analysis of the 24-team format, evaluating which programs and conferences stand to gain or lose postseason access. KATU adds the perspective of Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, who responds to the expansion news with his own assessment of how the new structure alters the competitive landscape for his program and the broader Pac-12.

The coverage emphasizes a growing tension between traditional conference structures and the economic incentives of an expanded playoff. WBTV's reporting on the ACC Championship Game's sunset provides a concrete example of how postseason reform is reshaping the regular-season calendar. On3 centers Dickert's critique, framing it as a voice for programs outside the traditional power conferences who see their path to a title game devalued. Sports Illustrated's analytical piece maps the competitive hierarchy under the new 24-team bracket, identifying specific conferences and team tiers as beneficiaries or casualties. KATU's inclusion of Lanning's response adds a Pac-12 dimension, illustrating how coaches across different conference affiliations are publicly processing the same structural change.

Context for this moment traces back to the CFP's incremental expansions from four to 12 and now 24 teams, each step reducing the existential importance of winning a conference championship game. The ACC's decision to end its title game after 2026 reflects a calculation that the automatic qualifier and revenue distribution from a 24-team field outweigh the branding and inventory of a standalone championship. Dickert's comment echoes a broader debate among Group of Five and mid-major coaches who have long argued that playoff access, not conference hardware, drives program sustainability. The coverage does not specify the exact revenue-sharing model or the selection committee's new protocols for the 24-team bracket.

What to watch next includes whether other Power Four conferences follow the ACC in eliminating or reformatting their championship games, how the selection committee weights conference titles versus at-large resumes in a 24-team field, and whether coaches' public skepticism translates into formal governance proposals at the NCAA or conference-commissioner level. The 2026 season will serve as a live stress test for the old championship-game model operating alongside the new playoff reality.