Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti pitched new models this week for the College Football Playoff that could expand the field to as many as 28 teams, sources familiar with the discussions tell CBS Sports. The ideas were pitched internally among Big Ten athletic directors earlier this week and have yet to be socialized with the other FBS conferences.

The Big Ten has long supported a 16-team format with four automatic qualifiers for itself and the SEC, with two AQs for the Big 12 and ACC. The 16-team format is still under consideration by the Big Ten, a source said, but Petitti made it his purpose to explore further options after negotiations with the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame hit a roadblock in June.

One model discussed among Big Ten leadership includes seven automatic qualifier

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