SEC, Big Ten and broadcasters clash over possible College Football Playoff expansion

Conference leaders and Notre Dame met virtually to model the financial impact of expanding the College Football Playoff, while the SEC and Big Ten remain deadlocked over format and size.

Leaders from the major football conferences and Notre Dame gathered online to run financial scenarios for a larger College Football Playoff, aiming to gauge how extra games would boost each school’s earnings. The SEC, represented by commissioner Greg Sankey, continues to argue for a 16-team bracket, citing concerns about breaking existing championship contracts and sponsor revenue tied to the Atlanta title game. In contrast, the Big Ten, backed by the ACC and Big 12, advocates adding twelve more teams to reach a 24-team field, which would open bidding opportunities for networks like one outlet.

One outlet, the current rights holder, has imposed a hard deadline in December for a final expansion decision, while a 20-team proposal featuring four play-in games has been floated but not embraced by the Big Ten. The outcome will determine how much additional television money each conference can capture and whether traditional conference title games will survive. Fans of the twelve-team format hope the deadline will be missed, preserving the status quo, but financial incentives appear to dominate the debate.