When it comes to whether the College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams, the SEC holds all the cards.
The commissioners of the Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 have all recently expressed support for the 24-team model. Now, the decision rests with the SEC, which will convene for its annual spring meetings in Destin, Fla., next week, where the topic is expected to be a major agenda item.
All FBS leagues are theoretically entitled to provide input. But thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed in 2024, the SEC and Big Ten must agree on a format for expansion to take place.
So far, that hasn’t happened. Over the past year, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has been pushing for the 24-team model, while SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has held firm on 16 teams. Petitti’s idea has gained steam in recent weeks, as the ACC and Big 12 have come out in favor of it.
The two biggest selling points for the 24-team model: access and revenue. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, for example, said on the Big 12 Today podcast this week that he favored the concept for the extra opportunities for teams to participate in the postseason, and that he specifically believed the setup would benefit the Big 12. The model would also theoretically increase the media-rights revenue exponentially for all—including the Group of 6 conferences, who will receive significantly fewer annual distributions than those in the Power 4.
