College Football playoffs have seen one of their biggest changes in recent years when they moved from a four-team playoff format to a 12-team playoff format, and now the SEC Commissioner makes a major admission. 

“We have to do the homework. And when we went from four to 12, I think one of the mistakes was we announced we’re going to 12 and then negotiated with the media," said Greg Sankey. "We should understand the media marketplace before we have an increase in, for example, the number of teams.”

The SEC Commissioner openly admitted to a mistake, amidst talks of further expanding the playoff format to 16 or 24 teams in the near future. The commissioner added that, unlike last time, there should be thorough research done before announcing another expansion. 

Currently, most schools under the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) play 12 games in the regular season, which is a mix of conference and non-conference opponents. Based on where you are ranked, you play 13-17 games in the new playoff format. 

Even though there is a new 14-person presidential committee supported by the White House who are pushing for the change, moving from 12 teams to 24 teams will come with challenges of its own.

It is necessary to find out if this change makes sense from a logistical and financial standpoint. Second comes the question: Is there enough research out there to prove that the fans want this?

Of course, the most important challenge will be taking into account players' safety and well-being, and how the move will affect them.

“I think it’s accurate to say that there is a coalescing around 24,” said one high-placed stakeholder who is part of both the CFP governance committee and the presidential group.

At the moment, there is no confirmation on what will happen. For now, it remains the usual 12-team format. 

Big Ten vs. Southeastern Conference

The battle between the two conferences has been going on for two years now. While Greg Sankey and the SEC want a 16-team playoff, the Big Ten wants a 24-team playoff. 

Given how much power they hold in college football, any further change to the college football playoff format will need an agreement between both conferences.

Moving to a 24-team playoff format would mean the start of a new era in the rapidly changing college football environment. It could also be the end of conference championship games. 

The SEC argues that shifting to a 24-team playoff format would devalue the regular season and everyone would be focused on the playoffs. On the flip side of the argument, it is the projected financial gain of adding 12 more teams in the picture. 

This will also mean that, along with ESPN, other television partners like FOX will also step in. At the moment, ESPN has exclusive rights till 2032 for CFP games. 

The deadline for making any changes in the 2027 college football season is December 1, 2026. However, there is no decision expected anytime soon.

Read more at the Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit