A second meeting between Big Ten and SEC leaders didn’t result in any major news, but it signaled potentially big changes to come.
Following the historic meeting between the two conferences in Nashville in October, athletic directors and conference executives from the Big Ten and SEC met Wednesday in New Orleans to discuss a variety of topics, including changes to the College football Playoffs — and, in the SEC’s case, whether it should expand its own conference schedule.
While Wednesday’s outcome didn’t result in any direct changes, it’s clear the Big Ten and SEC continue to make the case for a CFP buyout. Here’s what we learned.
Big Ten and SEC aligned on seeding changes
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey have both expressed support for changing the current CFP seeding process. Both commissioners agreed that CFP rankings, not conference championships, should determine automatic first-round byes.
This conundrum came into play during the first year of the 12-team CFP when Boise State And Arizona State both received automatic byes to the quarterfinals despite being seeded behind several other teams in the field who had to play a first-round match, including the eventual national champion. Ohio State.
It is possible that the desire for change will be reflected in the upcoming 2025 season, but it will require a unanimous vote. At this point, there has been considerable skepticism that conferences like the ACC and Big 12, which benefited from this format last season, would happily give up this advantage for nothing.
If the Big Ten and SEC fail to achieve this this year, it’s a safe bet that it will take effect in 2026, when both conferences will have even greater control over the playoff format.
More automatic qualifiers to come?
Speaking of greater control, conferences should again push for multiple automatic qualifiers and an expanded playoff format. Sankey remained tight-lipped on details Wednesday, saying he wanted to discuss the issue with the other commissioners first, but the Big Ten and SEC are each expected to attempt four automatic bids, while the Big 12 and ACC would get two each if the field expands to 14 or more teams.
It’s a controversial position that was rejected a year ago when the Big Ten insisted it be adopted, but it seems almost inevitable if the Big Ten and SEC put all their might into it. Like CBS Sports reported in DecemberLeaders in both conferences have serious concerns about the playoff selection committee’s ability to not only pick the best teams, but also rank them appropriately. This is not a fault of the committee members themselves, but of the guidelines they follow that lead to inconsistencies from year to year. The idea is that automatic qualifiers will do a better job of getting the best teams into the field and won’t penalize schools for playing a tough schedule. It was a hot topic of discussion after three SEC team losses Alabama, Ole Mademoiselle And South Carolina were all left out of last year’s field.
College football’s credibility hangs in the balance as Big Ten and SEC aim to tighten their grip on playoff access
Dennis Dodd
It would also help with a possible Big Ten-SEC scheduling arrangement if marquee games like Alabama-Michigan, Ohio The United States of Texas, etc. are rewarded and not penalized.
Nine-game SEC schedule expands
The annual hot topic at the SEC spring meetings in Destin always seems to be whether or not the conference will expand to nine conference games. There were years when it seemed to be gaining momentum, only to collapse when all the ADs and presidents got to work. Florida. That could still be the case this year, but there is reason to believe it could finally happen.
One is that ESPN is willing to shell out more money for a ninth conference game. That’s long been a sticking point for any action — for years it hasn’t been worth the effort from the SEC, sources say — but optimism is growing that those numbers are financially viable for a majority to buy into.
Second, if the Big Ten and SEC get their wish with automatic qualifiers and an expanded playoff field, the downside of a ninth conference game is diminished. More money doesn’t outweigh the risk of another tough game on the schedule that could keep schools like Alabama or South Carolina out of the playoffs, but if schools knew they would have at least four guaranteed spots, there would be less time wasted comparing apples and oranges with schools in other conferences; instead, they would focus on finishing top four in the SEC.
“I think there’s a lot of interest,” Sankey said. according to ESPN. “People change, positions change… understanding the perspective of the selection committee and how the criteria are applied is an important part.”
