The Group of Six playoff concept has long been a recurring topic in college football circles—one that typically generates buzz but fades without traction. Tim Pernetti, the American Athletic Conference commissioner, is determined to change that narrative.

Pernetti first introduced the idea during his introductory press conference in spring 2024, even before officially stepping into his role. He wasn't advocating for additional College Football Playoff (CFP) spots—he understood the six-year agreement was set and that the Group of Six's automatic bid was a fixed part of the equation. The American had secured that bid the previous season and nearly did so the year before. Instead, Pernetti proposed something different: there was room for more postseason football beyond the CFP.

Here's how it would work in practice: a standalone Group of Six playoff featuring the five conference champions that don't earn the CFP's automatic bid. The semifinals would be scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday of CFP semifinal week, with the CFP games following on Thursday. Importantly, the Group of Six's existing automatic CFP bid would remain untouched.

"There is demand for more postseason football," Pernetti recently shared on The Big Mountain Podcast, as reported by Football Scoop. "You have five conference champions that are not going to the Playoff. How do we create a new enterprise that complements the CFP? Maybe we play on Tuesday and Wednesday, leading into Thursday. There's a gap there—from Sunday NFL, Monday Night Football, Group of Six playoff, Group of Six playoff, CFP, CFP, back to the NFL. You could create the greatest gauntlet for a football fan ever seen in life by doing something like that."

And according to Pernetti, the idea is gaining momentum. "We are having discussions about it, just knocking around the idea," he added this week. "I think there's something to it because it's a new enterprise: best-on-best in the Group of Six. There's a lot of folks out there from the brand and media side that are really interested in knowing more about this. I think we have a responsibility to run that idea out and see what it looks like, and make a decision on whether or not it makes sense to pursue it."