Greg Sankey expressed that he won’t support the CFP’s proposal for automatic bids in a lengthy rant.
SEC’s Sankey Says “No Allocations” In Interview About Automatic Bids
The College Football Playoff Committee is apparently close to a decision on expanding the playoff format. Still, if Sankey, the Southeastern Conference Commissioner, has a say, automatic bids won’t be an included element.
In an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” on June 2, Sankey spoke about the discussion to have the number of teams in the playoff go from 12 to 14 and possibly 16.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey discusses why he is not in favor of automatic bids in the College Football Playoff.
“I’d give no allocations. This whole 5+7 thing that exist now, I’d just make it the 12 best teams.”#CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/g7TT0uKWPp
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 2, 2025
But when asked his preference, Sankey stated that he’d prefer that they just take the best teams.
“I’d give no allocation,” said Sankey. “When we get into rooms, we make political compromises.”
He was referring to the “5+11” proposal that the SEC is reportedly endorsing. This proposal gives places to the five conference champions and 11 at-large bids, which would be chosen by the selection committee.
The initial proposal had the SEC and the Big Ten receiving four automatic bids, the Big 12 and the ACC getting two automatic bids and three at-large bids, along with one for the Group-of-Six champion. The Big 12 and the ACC objected to that deal.
“We’ve spent so much time expanding and working through our own little side arguments about teams, and, oh, we can’t do this. We need this,” Sankey continued. “You got to protect this bowl game or that bowl game.
“We never went back to the essence of decision making, which is how our team selected, as everyone relocated over the last four or five years. Does the analysis that existed and worked for the four-team playoff in 2014 still have the same relevance, and we’re behind that curve in my opinion?”
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He did say to Patrick that he would be “happy for a coordinated conversation to try get scheduling right.” Sankey and the heads of the other power conferences are slated to speak again by phone on Tuesday.
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