Greg Sankey cites College Football Playoff selection when pressed on nine-game schedule for SEC

The conversation surrounding a potential ninth conference game being added to the SEC football schedule has gained a ton of steam over recent weeks. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has a ton on his plate, but he recognizes this is an issue that needs an answer sooner rather than later.

On Wednesday, Sankey joined The Paul Finebaum Show to provide the latest on whether a ninth game is coming in 2026. While it appears close to coming to fruition, Sankey prefaced by stating how it hinges on what the College Football Playoff decides to do about seeding, as certain SEC teams were burned by the conference’s stout competition in 2024.

“Let’s talk about the College Football Playoff. I think the 12-team launch was incredibly successful. More people had opportunities. We had a lot of conversation around who was left out, and we kind of forget, well, those teams were going to be in bowl games. Maybe New Year’s Six bowl games, or the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. This year it was, should they be in, should they be out? What’s important to me is how teams are being evaluated,” Sankey stated. “A team that’s playing two-thirds of their games against teams with winning records, compared to a team that’s played a very small number of their games against winning records in a different setting.

“That raises the issue of how spots are allocated. Let’s think about last year. There are allocations. Clemson was not in the Top 12, they were allocated a spot by virtue of being a champion. Boise State is not in the top four, they’re allocated top four, that moves somebody out. Arizona State’s not in the top four, they’re moved in. Part of the pre-conversation has been, as the conference has changed, let’s take a look. Well, now we have an example. That provokes the conversation around straight-seeding.”

Using Texas and Tennessee as prime examples, Sankey pushed the narrative that seeding will need to be adjusted before the SEC does anything: “So for us, Texas went from No. 3 to No. 5. Tennessee went from hosting to not hosting,” the SEC Commissioner added. “It’s difficult to explain and defend that decision-making. Not to mention that group that’s left out. The way you break it down is, we have the top four spots in the 12-team Playoff that matter. Then, we have the next four, those are home games, the next four who are in, and the next four who are out. That’s driven a lot of conversation.

“As we think about our schedule, we’re governed by playoff decisions, when you think about it. D you want to play — you just heard Kirby [Smart] talking about the rigor of our eight-game schedule, plus the championship game, but the creative thinking around play-ins? That’s bubbled up in our conversation, that championship Saturday, maybe having some more games that might create more hope.

“I think it’s a really interesting concept, but we need some clarity around what’s going to happen with the college football playoff format. So, there’s a lot of entanglements. A lot of important issues. A lot of opportunity, if we manage this properly.”

All told, Sankey makes some valiant points, but other conferences won’t have sympathy for the SEC just because of their infighting. The prospect of a ninth conference game for the SEC is something that might excite college football fans as a whole, but it’s evident Sankey wants some assurances from the CFP committee before committing to anything.

Time will tell what Greg Sankey and the conference’s decision-makers decide. One thing is for sure: a ninth conference game for the SEC feels a bit inevitable, whether it comes in 2026 or beyond.