SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey: 12-team College Football Playoff could stay

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey opened SEC Media Days on Monday by pushing back on the notion that a 16-team College Football Playoff is a done deal, insisting that the current 12-team format could possibly stick around longer.

Sankey acknowledged growing discussions around further expansion but emphasized that the decision-making process remains complicated and far from unanimous among Power 5 leadership. "You're binding me to a 16-team playoff," he said in response to a question. "But I'm on record as supporting 12. That took years, and the middle was messy. It worked."

While the SEC and Big Ten technically hold the most power under a current memorandum of understanding (MOU), Sankey noted that consensus among all commissioners is still the goal. “We don’t need unanimity,” Sankey said, “but there’s a level of authority granted to the SEC and Big Ten together. We have to use that authority with great wisdom and discretion.”

That MOU grants the top five conference champions automatic bids in the playoff model, referred to by some as “5+7,” “5+9,” or “5+11,” depending on the number of at-large teams. The SEC now appears to align more closely with the Big 12, ACC, and Group of 5 in supporting this format, leaving the Big Ten as the lone proponent of an automatic-bid-heavy model, one that would guarantee four CFP spots for both the SEC and Big Ten.

2025 Big 12 Football Media Days: 5 takeaways from Brett Yormark’s address

As for the SEC’s own format, Sankey tied the long-running eight vs. nine conference game debate to the playoff discussion. He said decisions about schedule expansion will be influenced heavily by how strength of record and schedule are evaluated in the final CFP model. “I don’t believe there’s anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the SEC’s,” he said. “Be it eight or nine.”

Sankey also addressed public perception around SEC power and playoff control, suggesting the league has the "best hand to play" but remains committed to process and data. “We’re going to continue to evaluate whether increasing our number of conference games is appropriate for us,” he said, “but understanding how the CFP will evaluate strength of schedule and record is critically important.”

Ultimately, Sankey’s message was one of restraint, urging college football leaders to resist the urge to expand for the sake of expansion, especially when the current system is still finding its footing. “Give it a shot,” Sankey said of the 12-team model. “Or at least let it ride for a couple more seasons.”

As CFP leadership continues to debate metrics and playoff structure, Sankey made it clear: the SEC isn’t rushing to change what isn’t yet broken.

More SEC Media Days Coverage

SEC Media Days: What to expect from Atlanta this week

Toby Rowland’s Top 10 coaches and players he’s most eager to hear from at SEC Media Days

SEC Media Days: The latest