‘This Is a Big Deal’: SEC Defends Championship Amid CFP Debate

Neither No. 2 Texas nor No. 5 Georgia appears at risk of missing out on the College Football Playoff, no matter the outcome of Saturday’s SEC championship game in Atlanta. The situation is similar for the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis, which features No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State.

While that’s a good thing for those schools and their respective conferences, it’s raised questions about the meaning and value of conference championship games in this new era of college football. 

For the SEC, though, keeping a conference title matchup on the books long-term appears to be a priority. 

“I certainly think so,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Thursday when asked whether Saturday’s game has the same value as previous years. “Because I’m an SEC enthusiast that believes an SEC title is a significant marker to your season and the kind of season you have. It also gets you a bye and it gets you an opportunity to rest and recover.”

The four highest-ranked conference champions will earn first-round byes, while seeds 5–8 will host first-round games on campus against Nos. 9–12. 

“We take this very seriously,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “This is a big deal to us. I think so many times, in the world that we live in, is focusing on what’s next, what’s next, what’s next?”

The only concern Sarkisian has is making sure the championship game doesn’t knock an SEC team out of the Playoff. “I surely hope, this year and in the years to come, that nobody ever gets punished because they don’t come out on top in this game,” he said. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin previously said some coaches didn’t want to play in the SEC championship game for fear of getting knocked out of the CFP with a loss.

However, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey admitted he and the other leaders of the CFP will continue to explore their options for the Playoff’s specific format for 2026 and beyond when there could be further expansion.  

“We do have an opportunity to go through these two years of experience under existing contracts, and during that process, look anew at some of the format issues, and I look forward to that,” Sankey said.

SEC Wants Even More

It’s likely the SEC and Big Ten will each end up with four teams in this year’s CFP bracket—with no other conferences getting multiple bids—and Sankey’s not apologizing for occupying a third of the spots.

“I’d love to have eight teams,” Sankey said. “So, the conference champion, and then their seven at-larges. People would opine about whether that’s good or not. I think that’s the reality of college football.”