Greg Sankey not in a hurry to expand College Football Playoff
When Greg Sankey speaks, whether in Destin or at SEC media days, the college football world listens. While he didn't break down any details on the future of SEC scheduling or the College Football Playoff. He spent time defending the league's eight-game schedule, saying, "I don't believe there's anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the opponents played by the Southeastern Conference teams in our conference schedule, be it eight or nine. There is a rigor here that is unique."
One of the biggest issues that college football faces is the constant evolution of the College Football Playoff. There has been a lot of discussion about moving to a 16-team playoff, but the Power Five conferences can't agree on a format. There's a lot of momentum for the 5+11 model, where the Power Four conference champions and the highest-rated Group of Six champion earn an automatic bid, and then 11 at-large bids are handed out. One of those at-large bids would go to Notre Dame if they were ranked inside the top 16.
But the Big Ten is hoping for more automatic qualifiers to an expanded playoff. The proposal would give the Big Ten and the SEC four automatic bids to the playoff while the Big 12 and the ACC would each get just two. The Group of Six would still get a spot. There would be fewer at-large bids available to fill out the 16 teams.
"The Big Ten has a different view," Sankey said. "That's fine. We have a 12-team playoff, five conference champions. That could stay if we can't agree. I think there's this notion that there has to be this magic moment, and something has to happen with expansion, and it has to be forced, no. I think, when you're given authority, you want to be responsible in using that authority. I think both of us are prepared to do so."
No expansion is certainly an option, and it doesn't seem like Greg Sankey is in any hurry to force it. There's plenty of time to figure it out, but a decision will need to be made one way or the other in the coming months, so teams can fill out or adjust their schedules accordingly.
One of the sticking points from the Big Ten's side is the conference schedule. The Big Ten is at nine conference games and believes the SEC should follow suit. According to Sankey, strength of schedule is not an issue in the SEC. They're playing nine Power Four games every year anyway.
The SEC, which has been at the forefront of the explosion of the sport over the last two decades, doesn't feel the need to do a nine-game conference schedule just to do a nine-game conference schedule. If it makes sense and is in the best interest of the SEC and college football as a whole, the SEC will go that direction. But until then, Sankey is content to stay at eight and keep the current College Football Playoff format.
And with so many changes that have occurred in the sport over the last decade, a little continuity isn't a bad thing.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Will the College Football Playoff expand again?
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