SEC and Big Ten Clash Over Future of College Football Playoff

As discussions intensify regarding the format for the College Football Playoff (CFP) beyond 2026, Southeastern Conference (SEC) Commissioner Greg Sankey emphasized the potential for the current 12-team structure to remain if his league and the Big Ten cannot reach a consensus. With a December 1 deadline looming, Sankey revealed that he has engaged in conversations with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti on four of the past five days, highlighting differing viewpoints on how the playoff should be organized.

Following his opening remarks on the first day of SEC media days at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, Sankey stated, “The Big Ten has a different view. That’s fine. We have a 12-team playoff, five conference champions. That can stay if we can’t agree.” The Big Ten is advocating for a model that guarantees certain spots for conferences and includes play-in games, while the SEC is leaning towards a 16-team format that would feature the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large bids.

Negotiations and Future Control

Before finalizing a new media rights deal with ESPN in March 2024, the nine Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) commissioners and Notre Dame leadership signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). This document broadly outlines the future of the playoff, granting significant control to the SEC and Big Ten. Despite some skepticism about the agreement, Sankey stressed the importance of the authority vested in both conferences.

“Unless you’re going to tear up the MOU… very clearly in that memorandum of understanding is [the authority] granted to the combination of the SEC and Big Ten ultimately we have to use that authority with great wisdom and discretion,”

Sankey acknowledged that reaching an agreement might not require complete unanimity. “I think there’s this notion that there has to be some magic moment,” he said. “When you’re given authority, you want to be responsible using that authority. I think both of us are prepared to do so.” He further indicated that the process will not be a simple matter of exerting pressure or making demands.

Implications for Scheduling and Competition

The SEC is also evaluating its schedule for the 2026 season, specifically whether to shift from eight to nine league games. This decision is linked to discussions about the CFP format, as sources within the Big Ten have indicated they would not endorse a 5+11 model unless the SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) both adopt nine league games. Sankey pointed out that SEC teams consistently face high-caliber opponents, noting that every team played at least nine games against Power Five opponents last season.

“I don’t believe there’s anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the opponents played by Southeastern Conference teams,” Sankey remarked. “There is a rigor here that is unique.” He assured that once a scheduling decision is reached, the conference office is well-prepared to implement it swiftly.

Addressing broader issues facing college athletics, Sankey commented on the unprecedented changes occurring in the sector. “Let me be clear,” he stated, “from my perspective, college athletics is not broken. It is under stress. It is strained.” As new financial challenges emerge, Sankey noted that the SEC has considered various financing options, including private equity, although he reaffirmed that this is not the preferred direction at this time.

“We have been probably two-and-a-half, three years into visits with banks, private equity, with venture capital,” he explained. “That doesn’t mean we won’t consider opportunities. If there are opportunities for mutual benefit, those would peak our interest, but the notion of just jumping to something because there’s a pot of money there seems an uninformed direction.”

As the deadline approaches, the future of the College Football Playoff remains uncertain, with the SEC and Big Ten poised as pivotal players in shaping its direction.