SEC’s Sankey Is ‘Fine’ With Big Ten’s Differing View on CFP Expansion

ATLANTA — SEC commissioner Greg Sankey won’t commit to supporting a specific new format for an expanded College Football Playoff, but it’s clear he’s not in line with the preferred idea from his Big Ten counterpart, Tony Petitti.

“The Big Ten has a different view—that’s fine,” Sankey said Monday at SEC media days. “We have a 12-team Playoff, five conference champions. That could stay if we can’t agree.”

Should the CFP expand to 16 teams in 2026, as many expect, Petitti has been pushing a new format that would award four automatic bids to both the Big Ten and SEC. Last week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said he was “doubling down” on his separate push for a 5+11 model that would give the five highest-ranked conference champions automatic bids, and include 11 at-large spots.

Sankey appears to be favoring the Big 12’s proposal—for now, at least. “Unless people want to tear it up, we’re going to have 5 plus 7, 5 plus 9, 5 plus 11,” he said, in reference to a potential 12-, 14-, or 16-team CFP. Sankey added, “I think we have the best hand to play.”

Next week, the Big Ten and ACC will hold their media days. Petitti is expected to continue backing his proposed CFP format, and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is expected to back the Big 12’s. 

“There’s this notion that there has to be this magic moment and something has to happen with expansion and it has to be forced—no,” Sankey said. “I think, when you’re given authority, you want to be responsible in using that authority. I think both of us are prepared to do so.”

There is a Dec. 1 deadline for the CFP to decide on expanding in 2026 and what a new format would look like.