The SEC Spring Meetings are taking place this week, and the future of college football playoffs has been a hot topic.
As the discussions around the expansion and control of the College Football Playoff gain momentum, the SEC finds itself at the center of a power struggle with the ACC and Big 12. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey had much to say concerning playoffs and other conferences when he spoke to the media.
Greg Sankey Drops Candid Thoughts on Future of College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff committee has already announced it will move to a straight-seeding model beginning next season instead of awarding conference champions with first-round byes.
What is next is determining how the Playoff will look in 2026 and beyond. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey spoke to the media this week in Destin at the SEC’s Spring Meetings.
Earlier this month, reports came out that the ACC and Big 12 Conference don’t have as much say as the SEC in College Football Playoff meetings, and Sankey had a reply to that.
Greg Sankey from his SEC media session in Destin: “I don’t need lectures from others about the good of the game……or coordinating press releases about the good of the game.” He references the Big 12 and ACC releases in wake of seeding vote last week.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 26, 2025
“I don’t need lectures from others about the good of the game, I don’t lecture others about good of the game and coordinating press releases about the good of the game,” Sankey responded. “You can issue your press statement, but I’m actually looking for ideas to move us forward.”
The 2025 playoff format is set with 12 teams seeded 1-12. Sankey claims that the league acted in the interests of other conferences when the playoffs went from four to 12 teams.
“Look at the track record. We didn’t need 12. Had we stayed at four, we would’ve had half the four last year,“ Sankey said. “I thought the 12-team design was really well considered at the time. We never had a unanimous vote to support the 12-team playoff.”
KEEP READING: SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Breaks Silence on Alabama’s CFP Snub: ‘I Don’t Know That I’d Say Surprised’
He continued, “Even though I was involved in that work, that didn’t mean everybody in this league, when we were at four teams, thought it was the best idea. But you engage in that type of problem solving.”
The playoff format after 2026 is yet to be determined, and Sankey said that discussions will continue surrounding the future of the CFP.
As the SEC’s Spring Meetings continue throughout this week, this topic will surely be a frequent question. It’s already obvious that the SEC, like the Big Ten, has the upper hand over other conferences. Now, they’ll have to use it to return the SEC to its championship glory.
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