The high-profile cancellations of non-conference games by Wake Forest and Nebraska are the latest to raise concerns for the college football world. In an interview, new SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey openly blasted these moves, stating that the new College Football Playoff (CFP) system is damaging college football’s regular season and its most influential games.
Greg Sankey Sounds the Alarm on Diminishing Regular Season
During a June 2, 2025, appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Sankey didn’t mince words regarding the cancellation of marquee games. He cited Wake Forest’s last-minute withdrawal from a home-and-home series with Ole Miss and Nebraska’s decision to back out of games against Tennessee. Sankey stated:
“When programs like Wake Forest notify Ole Miss the day before their first game of a home and home series that we’re not playing the one back in Oxford, that’s a problem. When Nebraska cancels an agreement to play Tennessee home and home and cites. The college football playoff selection process is a fundamental reason why we have to understand that the college football playoff selection process is threatening the regular season, not supporting it.”
Sankey’s remarks highlight a growing trend: schools are becoming increasingly wary of scheduling tough non-conference opponents, fearing that a single loss could jeopardize their playoff hopes.
By referencing the CFP selection process, Sankey pointed out that the system’s current incentives may unintentionally encourage programs to avoid risk, ultimately diminishing the excitement and value of the regular season.
He further emphasized: “Remember all those conversations people had about, hey, if you expand the playoff, you’re going to diminish the regular season. I think there is something to that. I just think everybody missed that the regular season was being changed by the college football playoff.”
Sankey’s call for awareness underscores the need to protect the integrity and competitiveness of college football’s regular season.
The Need for Reform: Protecting Marquee Matchups
Sankey’s criticism extends beyond any individual school. He’s asking for a systemic rethink of what college football incentivizes scheduling. Conferences and the CFP need to work together to ensure that marquee non-conference games remain part of the sport, the commissioner says. The absence of such matchup opportunities denies fans some of the most compelling storylines and rivalries that help frame every season.
The SEC boss’s words have struck a chord with many concerned that the regular season’s thrill is fading. If the sport becomes too focused on playoff positioning at the expense of entertaining scheduling, it’s going to lose the passion of the fans who do love it. Big-time matchups not only provide a sense of anticipation, but they also give you a tool to compare teams and entire conferences.
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Sankey’s answer is simple: Conferences need to come together to protect the underpinnings of these games, and the CFP should examine how it selects participants. By rewarding teams for playing hard schedules rather than punishing them for losing tough games, the sport can preserve the drama and uncertainty that make college football the beautiful mess that it is.
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