ATLANTA, Ga. - As the clock ticks on a Dec. 1 deadline to determine a format for the College Football Playoff in 2026 and beyond, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey reiterated the possibility it could stay at 12 teams if his league and the Big Ten can't agree on what model would be best.
Sankey said he and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti spoke four out of five days last week and acknowledged the SEC's "different view" coming out of its spring meetings in Destin, Fla. While the Big Ten has favored a model that rewards conferences with guaranteed spots and play-in games to determine them, the SEC coaches most recently said they would now prefer a 16-team format that includes the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large bids.