New Mexico Coach Splits on Separate Group of Six Playoff
Jason Eck says the idea is a layered question while other coaches debate the format and the fate of bowl games.
By Ella Cox ·
New Mexico head coach Jason Eck said Monday that he goes back and forth on the idea of a separate playoff for Group of Six schools.
The Lobos, who are ranked No. 22 in the nation, play Nevada on Friday night in Reno. UNM is 7-1 and looking for its first win in the Valley of the Sun, a place where the team has lost four times and tied once in history.
A win keeps the Lobos alive in the race to join the 12-team College Football Playoff. A loss returns the team to a familiar state of waiting for the next opportunity.
The debate over the postseason structure is heating up as the field is expected to expand to 24 teams as early as next season. ESPN reports this new model would likely eliminate Power Four conference championship games and disrupt the current bowl system.
Some administrators and coaches are pushing for a distinct national championship for the six major non-power leagues: the Mountain West, Pac-12, Mid-American Conference, American Conference, Sun Belt, and Conference USA. This would allow these schools to compete for a title separate from the major conferences.
A survey by On3 last week found strong support for the concept among coaches in those leagues. Of 69 head coaches polled, 40 said they supported a separate playoff, while 21 opposed it and nine did not offer an opinion. The supporters cited the lopsided record between power conferences and Group of Six teams this season, which stands at 75 wins to 3 losses.
Eck acknowledged the difficulty of the current format. He noted that no Group of Six team has won a playoff game since the expansion to 12 teams in 2024. An anonymous coach in the survey told On3 that there is no realistic path for their schools to win the national title under the current setup.
Eck described the issue as a layered question in his response to the survey earlier in the summer. He pointed out that many coaches want the season to start earlier to accommodate the larger tournament. This creates a scheduling conflict for television networks, particularly on New Year's Day, which currently hosts three major playoff games: the Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Peach Bowl.
The coach suggested that if the season starts earlier, the Group of Six championship game could be played on New Year's Day. He proposed a system where a Group of Six team that loses in the 24-team playoff would receive a bye in the separate tournament. However, he admitted the format is tricky if two Group of Six teams make the main playoff and a different team is declared the champion of the secondary tournament.
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson took a firmer stance against the split. He said he was not contacted for the On3 survey but believes a separate playoff muddies the waters. Danielson stated that if his team performs well enough, it wants a shot at the main title rather than a consolation prize in a separate event.
