Eli Drinkwitz calls out college football’s identity crisis as CFP expansion buries tradition

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz says college football’s changes are weakening the traditions that have given the sport its identity. He questions the purpose of conference membership if an expanded College Football Playoff leaves conferences without championship games, and whether teams still need to travel long distances to play one another.

Drinkwitz also says bowl games, regional rivalries and the continuity between seasons have lost value amid player movement and uncertainty over who will return. The article links these changes to the shift towards player pay and the playoff’s planned expansion to 24 teams, arguing that decisions about the sport’s future have not sufficiently considered fans.