Shifting Dynamics in College Football
College football is evolving quickly, but the key stakeholders don’t seem to be on the same page. It’s like a delicate dance; the SEC believes it has the upper hand, with Commissioner Greg Sankey showing notable confidence. Meanwhile, the Big Ten has its own strong personalities, and it isn’t a group that easily concedes to others. One thing’s for sure: the future of college football will largely hinge on these two conferences, overshadowing the likes of the ACC and Big 12.
At present, the SEC and Big Ten find themselves at odds regarding a proposed new format for the College Football playoffs. Last season saw the playoffs expand to 12 teams, but there’s already chatter about hiking that number to 16. Though both conferences agree on having 16 teams in the College Football Playoff, they diverge significantly on how those teams should be selected.
The SEC favors a model with 11 large bids, consisting of five conference champions, while the Big Ten has a more complex approach involving its four automatic bids, alongside those from the ACC and Big 12. On top of that, there’s a spot for one highly-ranked Group of Five team, with the remaining positions filled by standout teams.
“We see things differently from Destin when it comes to assignment,” Sankey stated recently during SEC Media Day. “The Big Ten holds a different perspective. That’s fine; we have a 12-team playoff featuring five conference champions. If you disagree, well, that’s your choice.”
On the other side, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti remarked that the SEC’s model would likely struggle to gain traction within his conference.
A major sticking point—one both conferences are reluctant to budge on—is the number of conference games played. The Big Ten has nine conference games, while the SEC goes with eight.
“It’s absolutely true that the SEC plays eight conference games while others play nine,” noted Sankey. “However, last season, all 16 teams in the Southeastern Conference faced at least nine so-called ‘power opponents.’”
He also mentioned that no one would willingly switch their schedules to those of the SEC.
In the midst of these disagreements, Penn State’s head coach James Franklin offers a more unifying perspective. He argues that it would only make sense for all conferences to play the same number of conference games.
“What I’m struggling with is what I’ve been saying for a while now. It’s quite simple: Everyone should play the same number of conference games,” Franklin expressed.
Sankey indicated that the SEC would soon make a decision about expanding its conference schedule for the 2026 season, possibly retaining the current eight games. Despite the push for uniformity, tensions still seem to be mounting between the two conferences.
“Unless there’s some uniformity between conferences, being in the Big Ten makes it pointless to have anything other than four automatic qualifiers and a larger pool of teams,” remarked Ohio State’s head coach Ryan Day. “Playing nine conference games isn’t comparable to playing eight.”
When it comes to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s role in determining playoff teams, the inconsistency in the number of games played complicates matters. It raises concerns about fair comparisons between teams from different conferences.
“Expecting a group to come together and decide which teams are the best is a challenge when comparisons aren’t even close,” Franklin added.
If an agreement can’t be struck, Sankey may find himself stuck with the current 12-team format. Yet, what ultimately matters is that both the Big Ten and SEC need to align on the number of conference games played, whether that ends up being eight or nine.
The future of college football undoubtedly rests on the shoulders of the Big Ten and SEC. However, the rivalry and partisanship within each conference could undermine the long-term health of the sport. Finding common ground on crucial issues like scheduling and playoff structures would certainly help.
