Nick Saban, Deion Sanders sound off on CFP structure with auto bids, player bonuses among talking points

The College Football Playoff remains a hot topic, and everyone from your coworker down the hall to legendary coaches have opinions on the matter. In an interview with the Associated Press, legendary former Alabama coach Nick Saban expressed distaste for the idea of automatic bids, and Colorado coach Deion Sanders proposed bonuses for the players.

Since the CFP began in 2014, the field has already been expanded from four to 12, and it may only continue to grow. The Big Ten is apparently prepared to push models involving 16, 24 and 28 teams, which include a hefty amount of automatic bids -- there have been conversations for up to four -- for itself and SEC. Although Saban is open to expanding the playoff beyond 12 teams, he is far less excited about the idea of automatic bids. Rather, the seven-time national champion would prefer to see teams earn their postseason berths.

"The NFC East has the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants, they have the biggest fan bases of anyone and they have to play their way in," Saban told the AP. "Everyone should play their way in. One year, a conference might get five teams in, another it might get three. But there's no [scenario] in any competitive venue where you get a guaranteed playoff spot."

Three SEC teams -- Tennessee, Texas and Georgia -- earned College Football Playoff bids last season, while Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina were all on the playoff fringes but ultimately left out of the field. Though he's no longer coaching in the SEC, Saban's opinion is still likely in lockstep with the conference, which could receive more at-large bids than automatic bids if the playoff field goes to 16, 24 or 28 teams. 

Once teams do get into the CFP, Sanders has an idea for the players who are enduring some extra wear and tear at the end of a long season. Sanders suggested adopting the NFL model of playoff bonuses in which every player is paid a fixed amount every round.

"Now it's equality, now it's even and every player is making the same amount of money," Sanders said.

Saban signed off on Sanders' proposal, though it's unclear how those procedures would work. Saban has been mentioned as a potential "commissioner" for college football, but the longtime coach has been adamant that he wants no part of it. 

CFP bonuses would nevertheless be a good way for players to get rewarded by putting their bodies on the line for an extra three to four games. Last season's champion, Ohio State, played four extra games. If the playoff expands beyond 12 teams, the number of games played -- and the physical toll they take -- will only keep climbing.