Greg Sankey: ‘We have to think about’ CFP format ahead of 2025 deadline

The hottest point of conversation last summer was the possibility of College Football Playoff expansion, however a series of meetings led to nothing and placed the postseason on the back burner while NIL and transfer portal issues dominated the headlines. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey believes the gap in negotiations and halt in talks could prove dangerous as a deadline approaches.

During the SEC meetings in Destin, Florida, Greg Sankey told reporters that ‘we have to think about’ the CFP contract before it runs out in 2025. Sankey also mentioned that the rumored SEC College Football playoff wasn’t meant as a threat but as part of that preparation.

“After 2025 there is nothing,” said Sankey, via The Athletic’s Seth Emerson. “Literally nothing. … It was not created as a threat. It is not intended as a threat.”

The reported sticking points of past negotiations centered on the number of teams and the presence of automatic qualifiers in the field. Some wanted 12 teams, while others wanted to remain at four or move to eight. In addition, many conferences wanted to add automatic qualifiers like the NCAA Tournament in many sports.

According to Sankey, the 12-team proposal is dead, but the eight-team format could move forward with the support of the SEC as long as they do not include the automatic qualifiers. The SEC is the only conference to place multiple teams in the current four-team format and could stand to place even more if the playoffs expand without requirements to include other representatives.

SEC discussing new schedule

With Texas and Oklahoma set to join the SEC in the near future, Greg Sankey has been talking about the future schedule in addition to the possible CFP changes. According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the SEC has already discussed at least one model for scheduling should the conference do away with divisions.

“SEC has already thought through the toughest part of playing in one division — competitive balance,” Dodd tweeted. “One model would have all 16 teams playing each other twice within a 4-year period. (3 fixed opponents, six rotating).”

The SEC East is currently made up of Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina, Florida and Vanderbilt. The SEC West has Alabama, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Auburn and LSU.

There are multiple other potential scheduling models on the table if the SEC eliminates divisions, including an eight-game slate with one permanent opponent and seven rotating opponents. A nine-game schedule with three permanent and six rotating opponents has also been discussed. Some of these options also include ‘pods’ which preserve regional rivalries.