A massive decision on the future of the College Football Playoff is coming, and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey just pulled back the curtain on it. Sankey told Scott Dochterman of The Athletic that an announcement is expected “sooner rather than later,” and here’s the kicker: the SEC is now open to expanding the CFP to 24 teams. Yeah, you heard that right.
The Big Flip and What It Means
This is a huge turn. Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports previously reported that the SEC initially pushed back against the Big Ten’s 24-team proposal. But now, it looks like attitudes have shifted. Sankey himself said, “Attitudes change over time and perspectives change, and so we’ll see where that leads us from a final decision standpoint.” He noted they’ve made progress on scheduling commitments, and that’s a key part of making this whole thing work. The ACC and Big 12 are already on board with a 24-team playoff. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark even told Dochterman, “More access is good for this conference. If we had the 24-team format last year, we would have gotten five schools in, and that would be great for this conference. Not good, but great.” This isn’t just talk, this is a real possibility, and the SEC and Big Ten are the ones who will ultimately make the call.
Conference Championships on the Chopping Block?
Here’s where it gets wild. If college football adopts the 24-team format, it means the Power 4 conference championship games would be eliminated. You know, those epic showdowns we look forward to every season. Why? To make room for all those extra playoff contests. And those games aren’t just for bragging rights. According to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, every single one of those Power 4 conference championship games has a media value of at least $200 million. We are talking about serious money being pushed off the table if this goes through. Sankey admits there are still “hurdles to clear” in these discussions, but he’s also confirmed an “openness to Playoff expansion on our part.”
The clock is ticking. The deadline for a possible change to the CFP format is December 1, though officials can agree to an extension if they need more time to iron out these massive details. What happens next could totally reshape the landscape of college football for years to come, especially with those high-stakes conference championship games hanging in the balance.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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