Two of the most dominant conferences in college athletics are taking control of the College Football Playoff both pushing for significant changes to the postseason format.
The move comes just days after USA TODAY Sports analyst Blake Toppmeyer suggested that CFP tensions stem from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey’s influence. Toppmeyer argued that Sankey set this shift in motion with the SEC’s 2021 expansion, which added Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12.
Last spring, during heated negotiations over the future of the CFP, leaders from the Big Ten and SEC reportedly threatened to form their own postseason model unless they were granted a majority share of CFP revenue and full authority over its format.
Ultimately, executives from the 10 FBS leagues and Notre Dame signed a memorandum of understanding, ceding control to the sport’s two wealthiest conferences. Now, the SEC and Big Ten appear ready to exercise that power.
Sources told Yahoo Sports that officials within both leagues are pushing for an expanded 14- or 16-team playoff structure that would grant multiple automatic qualifiers to each conference—potentially as many as four each. The proposal could also include a scheduling partnership between the SEC and Big Ten, a move that could generate millions in additional television revenue and see elite schools collide against one another.
A revamped playoff format would clear the way for the SEC to move to a nine-game conference schedule, a long-discussed change. It could also spark broader realignment across the Power Four leagues, impacting conference championship weekend structures.
The 11 members of the CFP Management Committee—the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director—were contacted for comment. Many confirmed discussions on the proposals but declined to provide specifics. The timeline for decisions could come as soon as weeks, per Yahoo Sports.
SEC and Big Ten athletic directors are scheduled to meet Wednesday in New Orleans for the second time in five months. The Big 12 will discuss the future playoff format at meetings this week, while ACC officials, including presidents and athletic directors, met last week in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The CFP Management Committee is set to convene Feb. 25 in Dallas where the CFP is headquartered, where the SEC and Big Ten are expected to present a proposal—potentially a consensus plan formed during this week’s New Orleans meetings.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Greg Sankey, SEC and BIG 10 set to host meetings over CFP changes.
