BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) 鈥� Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey stood firm behind a 16-team Monday, indicating that a disagreement with the Big Ten 鈥� which backs doubling the current bracket to 24 teams 鈥� is lingering deep into the offseason.
鈥淭hat focus hasn鈥檛 changed,” Sankey said at the APSE Southeast Region meeting at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. “We鈥檙e open to the conversation, but there are a lot of ideas out there that have to be supported with analysis and information, not speculation.鈥�
Sankey said all changes in college athletics must come with appropriate research 鈥� something he believes the SEC has provided in support of a four-team expansion to 16. To Sankey, the Big Ten-backed plan and whether it would offer much difference from 16 teams, is an unknown. A decision on the 2027 format would need to be made later this year.
The playoff from four to 12 teams in 2024, and after decision-makers failed to reach an , the CFP will use the same model for the 2026-27 season. The discussion carries major implications for the college football schedule in general, including when it kicks off, the role of still-lucrative conference championship games and when the season comes to a close in January.
鈥淲e’re trying to inform that with research. We’ve done that, from our perspective, with 16,鈥� Sankey said. 鈥淲e want to understand, through some analytic support, games that matter in an expanded environment, and games that might not matter.鈥�
Sankey cited Oklahoma’s late push into the playoff last season as the blueprint, saying it was 鈥済ood for college football.鈥�
An NCAA committee last month recommended that play a 12-game schedule over 14 weeks beginning in 2027 with the season starting on the Thursday of what is now designated Week Zero and ending the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Last week, the American Football Coaches Association to the schedule that included eliminating conference championship games, reducing scheduled bye weeks from two to one and reducing the minimum number of days between games to no fewer than six. Sankey suggested he was hearing different from league coaches.
鈥淭he American Football Coaches Association without, like, picking up the phone and having a conversation with those of us in the decision-making role, issues a set of statements and says we want to get the season done earlier,” said Sankey, who contended the AFCA plan had 鈥渕utually exclusive” options. 鈥淎nd oh, by the way, we just met with our football coaches, (who) said, 鈥業f we鈥檙e going to go to Week Zero, two open weeks is the priority, not an earlier rush into the postseason.鈥� Two open weeks work for injury purposes, for recovery purposes, for development purposes, is the priority.鈥�
Sankey did acknowledge a when it comes to scheduling, with power leagues moving to a and the ongoing desire to use non-conference dates as a chance for a marquee game to polish a CFP resume. In March, President Donald Trump issued an exective order from airing during the annual Army-Navy matchup in December; the AFCA has since proposed a dedicated window for the Army-Navy game with flexibility for other same-day games outside of the window.
The commissioner and AFCA are seemingly more aligned on that matter.
鈥淲e now have two executive orders about Army-Navy, and I think everyone wants to honor Army-Navy, but you do have limits,” he said. “Conference championship games still exist, and there are contracts around those for the first week of December, so plenty of opinions about whether they continue or not. Then you鈥檙e the Army-Navy game, then you鈥檙e the NFL Saturday, and we鈥檝e already infringed upon that, and you can see the impact upon both sides 鈥� ratings, the NFL and college football on that Saturday. So where do you fit all the games?鈥�
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