MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — As a Friday deadline approaches, the Big Ten and SEC find themselves at an impasse regarding the future structure of the College Football Playoff, following the recent annual meeting of CFP executives.
“There’s still work to be done,” said Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, as he walked past a throng of reporters gathered outside the Lowe’s hotel meeting room in South Beach.
The Big Ten and SEC hold substantial influence over the playoff format from 2026 onwards, due to a memorandum of understanding signed by the 10 FBS commissioners, including former American Conference commissioner Mike Aresco, and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. If Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey fail to reach an agreement on a format by Friday—an extended deadline set by ESPN, the exclusive TV rights holder—the playoff will remain at 12 teams for at least another year.
There is significant backing for a 16-team playoff to commence in 2026, according to sources, but the Big Ten is unwilling to support it unless the SEC consents to a 24-team format three years later. Sankey and Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chair of the CFP’s board of managers, have publicly expressed that the SEC favors a 16-team model. but, sources indicate that Sankey is hesitant to commit to a 24-team structure at this time, and he was not available for comments after the meeting.
“This was not a deadline day at all,” Keenum remarked after the meeting. “They’re still in discussions. We expect talks to carry on, and they will ultimately decide whether to keep the format at 12 or shift to a different number.”
A 24-team format would necessitate that conferences drop their championship games, a valuable asset for the SEC. also, some attendees expressed concerns about how a 24-team setup might affect the regular season, sources indicated. When Keenum was asked about the SEC’s stance on a 24-team playoff, he declined to “speak for my commissioner during these discussions about the potential format.”
Mid-American commissioner Jon Steinbrecher mentioned that he anticipates “a lot of discussions” to take place between the Big Ten and SEC this week; however, no official meeting of the larger group is currently scheduled.
“There are two conferences that will significantly dictate the direction of this matter,” he noted. “Stay tuned.”
One source indicated that a 16-team playoff is still a possibility for the next season, though unlikely. American commissioner Tim Pernetti emphasized that it is up to Sankey and Petitti to resolve the situation.
“It’s in the hands of those two individuals to come up with a proposal that we can all review and discuss,” Pernetti stated, “but for now, the conversations are ongoing.”
