Greg Sankey and the SEC are entering a crucial period that will shape the future of the College Football Playoff and conference championship games.
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has long been viewed as a key figure in postseason expansion, particularly with the NCAA Tournament now officially expanded. As that process concludes, attention shifts back to Sankey and his conference regarding the College Football Playoff.
“Over the years, I’ve become an easy target,” Sankey said with a smile.
Now wrapping up his 12th year at the helm, Sankey is bracing for a pivotal stretch when the SEC will debate its stance on several major issues: preferred CFP format, the fate of the conference championship game, and growing calls within the league to set their own rules.
During a one-hour discussion Monday at the Associated Press Sports Editors Southeast Regional meeting held at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Sankey weighed in on multiple topics. Here are the five most significant points he addressed:
**1. Playoff size: 16 or 24 teams?**
A year ago, Sankey and the SEC held the swing vote between competing 16-team proposals. The Big Ten pushed for multiple automatic bids per conference, while others favored five conference champions plus 11 at-large spots. The SEC backed the latter, resulting in no deal and a third year of the 12-team format.
Now, momentum appears to be shifting toward the Big Ten’s 24-team idea, with the SEC potentially acting as a holdout. The key question is whether the SEC will stand firm or if enough support exists within the conference to accept a 24-team field.
Sankey said internal discussions will take place over the next few weeks, especially at SEC spring meetings. A critical factor, in his view, is whether expansion would enhance or undermine the importance of the regular season.
He indicated that research shows a 16-team playoff would not diminish the regular season, but a 24-team field remains an “unknown.”
“There are a lot of ideas out there that have to be supported with analysis and information, not speculation,” Sankey said. “And with something as important as a regular season in football, hey, if you can build the regular season and build the postseason through expansion in a different way, awesome, let’s get to that. But let’s understand that.”
According to Sankey, the jump to 12 teams already tripled the number of squads entering November with playoff hopes. His concern is that further expansion could lead teams to rest key players during regular-season games.
“That has to be fully understood (in any expansion),” Sankey said. “At any level of expansion, there will be games that didn’t matter that will matter. But there’s another side to that coin.”
**2. Future of the SEC Championship Game**
Eliminating the SEC title game is gaining traction. Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne recently stated the event has “run its course,” and Georgia coach Kirby Smart, whose team has won the past two SEC championships, said he would support dropping it if the playoff expanded to 24 teams.
From a competitive standpoint, the move makes sense. Financially, it’s more complicated. The game consistently draws high TV ratings and, along with other revenue, contributes an estimated $50 million per year to the SEC — possibly more.
Sankey avoided discussing money Monday and instead focused on how the playoff model might evolve. He made it clear the SEC championship is not necessarily doomed — it simply depends on the final playoff structure.
“We haven’t picked the model. There are plenty of models out there, utilizing right now we have contracts (for conference championship games),” Sankey said. “If the model changes, we’ll have to answer the questions differently.”
When asked how important