SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has expressed his strong interest in changing the current College Football Playoff (CFP) bracket format for the 2025 season. As the first-ever 12-team CFP unfolds, Sankey sees an opportunity to make adjustments that better align with the evolving landscape of college football, particularly as it pertains to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and other power programs. His comments, made to Seth Emerson of *The Athletic*, highlight his commitment to refining the playoff system as it moves forward.
The 12-team format, introduced for the 2024 season, marks a significant shift from the previous four-team playoff structure. It allows more teams to participate, with the top four seeds receiving byes, while the remaining teams compete in the first round on the home field of the higher seeds. Although the expansion has been widely praised for making the playoff more inclusive and allowing more fanbases to feel connected to the postseason, Sankey’s remarks reveal a desire for adjustments.
One of the main issues Sankey highlighted was the competitive imbalance created by the current system. In particular, he expressed concerns over the disproportionate number of teams from certain conferences, such as the SEC, making the playoff. The SEC has been one of the most dominant conferences in college football over the past decade, regularly producing national championship contenders. However, under the new format, there is the potential for SEC teams to be overrepresented, while other conferences may feel that their teams are underrepresented in the expanded bracket.
For Sankey, the goal is to create a system that better reflects the full diversity of college football, ensuring that every team and conference has a fair shot at securing a playoff berth. Sankey has also indicated that he believes the current format could result in a dilution of the playoff’s overall quality if too many teams from one conference make it through. In particular, a crowded field of SEC teams might lessen the competitive integrity of the bracket, with teams from other conferences potentially losing out on opportunities to compete at the highest level.
Sankey has yet to propose a specific format change, but his comments suggest he would like to see a system that addresses these concerns. One potential change could be the introduction of automatic qualifiers for the top conference champions, ensuring that each major conference gets a guaranteed spot in the playoff. Another potential adjustment could involve revisiting how the selection committee ranks teams or how the bracket is constructed to better balance the representation of teams from different conferences.
Sankey’s desire for change also comes amid the SEC’s evolving dominance in college football. As conferences like the Big Ten grow stronger with recent additions, including power programs like USC and UCLA, the playoff system may need to adjust to accommodate these changes. Sankey’s comments signal a recognition of the need to stay ahead of these shifts and ensure that the playoff remains fair and competitive as it enters a new era.
In conclusion, Greg Sankey’s call for changes to the 12-team College Football Playoff system reflects his commitment to ensuring that the postseason remains competitive and inclusive. As the SEC continues to lead the way in college football, Sankey’s push for adjustments underscores the importance of balancing representation across conferences while maintaining the integrity of the playoff. The upcoming 2025 season could be a critical turning point for the future of the College Football Playoff.
