Ross Dellenger reported late Sunday evening that changes could be coming to the College Football Playoff. Specifically, he reported that changes could be coming at the hands of the SEC and the Big Ten.
We knew changes would be coming to the playoff sooner rather than later. Remember that less than a month into the 2024 calendar year, there were rumors and reports that expanding to 14 teams from the new 12 team format could be in play. To put that in perspective, not only were the powers that be talking about expansion before the season ever started, they were talking about expansion before spring practice ever started.
That’s what happens when a sport we all know and love is being run by money. Actually, let’s call it like it is, it’s being run by greed.
The SEC, and its fans, have been the loudest ones in the room for a long time in the college football world. The chest beating and letter chanting drown out outside ire and angst from the rest of the college football world. However, after two straight seasons of not having a team even play for the national championship the shouts have turned to whispers, and the ivory tower has new residents, or new neighbors, at least.
What’s spawned from that has been some of the most surprising while also least surprising news imaginable.
It appears the SEC and Big Ten will use their weight to strong arm the rest of the country to bend to their will for how the CFP will look moving forward.
Gasp! The SEC and Big Ten are going to bully their way into forcing the hand of the rest of the country to follow their demands? You mean to tell me the two primary money making, competitively elite, and oftentimes dominating leagues want it their way or the highway? I am shocked.
I hope you can sense the sarcasm.
There’s a part of me that thinks they should be allowed to make other inferior leagues bend the knee. We can see how weak the Big 12 was and is. And, we can clearly see how bad the ACC is outside of that team in orange in upstate South Carolina. Those conferences don’t deserve multiple seats at the table. Period.
That may be where the frustration lies with executives like Greg Sankey. However, that’s not where the frustration lies with the fans, and it especially won’t be the where the origin of their frustration stems from moving forward. That’s because of what these demands will include in the dealing with the devil bartering that could be in place for the league to get what they want.
This, of course, refers to the news Dellenger broke, indicating that two things on the table moving forward are a ninth conference game for the SEC and “major” changes to conference championship weekends.
Let’s be clear, it’s what they want. Not what we, the fans, want. The endgame for Greg Sankey is to have as many teams in the College Football Playoff as possible. Why? It’s what will make the most money for the league.
I’m not going to vilify Greg Sankey for doing his job and making the conference more profitable than ever. I may vilify him for not reinvesting that money in his own officiating, but that’s for another time.
What I am strongly against is trading a conference championship and/or being forced to play a ninth conference game just to get a 9-3 team into the playoff field to make more money.
There is no reason to do either, and trading an eight game schedule and the SEC Championship for a chance at more representation feels like a bad deal.
Historically speaking, there is zero reason the SEC should change their approach to anything in the world of football. Forget about the last two seasons. They have played in 16 of the last 19 national championships. They have won 13 of the last 19 national titles and have done so with five different programs.
All of those titles have come in seasons featuring eight conference games and an SEC Championship.
As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
It ain’t broke, Mr. Sankey. Neither is the conference. Try to remember that before making any rash decisions that could fatten our pockets but potentially leave our trophy cases emptier.
