Oher leagues and institutions that once were bullish on private equity have backed off, but the Big Ten is patiently ...

FILE — Big Ten Conference commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during a news conference after meetings with the Southeastern Conference, Oct. 10, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV ...

A major factor in the Big Ten refusing to adopt a "5-plus-11" model is because of the scheduling difference. Currently, the Big Ten plays nine conference games while the SEC plays just eight.

The format would allow the Big Ten to add CFP play-in games on championship weekend with, for example, the No. 3 seed facing the No. 6 seed for one of the conference's automatic bids.

Big Ten Conference commissioner Tony Petitti speaks during a news conference after meetings with the Southeastern Conference, Oct. 10, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.

Behind the scenes, Petitti has spent more than a year pushing a bizarre 16-team College Football Playoff model in which his conference and the SEC would earn four automatic berths each, the ACC and ...