Greg Sankey, SEC commissioner, and Tony Petitti, Big Ten commissioner, met this week to discuss the College Football Playoff (CFP). While most fans welcomed the expansion of the playoffs, it became clear that there were flaws in the way teams were seeded, resulting in more favorable matchups and paths through the playoffs. One such issue was giving No. 9 Boise State and No. 12 Arizona State a bye, simply because the highest-ranked conference champions automatically received a bye.
Photo Cred: ESPN
While it’s not to say these teams didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs, their seeding was questionable, and they certainly didn’t warrant a bye in the first round. Both commissioners agreed that the seeding process needed to be restructured. Given that the Big Ten and SEC accounted for seven of the twelve teams in the playoffs this year, their perspectives will hold weight in any future decisions.
One potential change for the seeding process could be that the top five ranked conference champions make the playoffs, ensuring that a group-of-five team always has a chance. From there, the playoff committee would rank the top twelve teams, with the top four teams receiving a bye, regardless of whether they won their respective conference championships. In most cases, the top-seeded teams will still be conference champions, like Oregon and Georgia this year, but teams like Penn State and Texas would not be overtaken by teams ranked lower than them.
As the two wealthiest conferences in college football, the Big Ten and SEC have the power to influence the future direction of the sport. This year, the Big Ten had four teams in the playoff field, while the SEC had three. The SEC could have placed a fourth team in the field if not for some late-season losses. One change that the commissioners might push for is automatic spots for their conferences, potentially guaranteeing the top three or four teams from each conference a spot in the twelve-team field. This push could gain more traction as the twelve-team playoff expands further in 2026 to include fourteen teams.
Photo Cred: NCAA
Under this model, the top two teams in the ACC and Big 12 could also secure confirmed spots. The remaining spots filled by the highest-ranked group-of-five champion and at-large selections, which could go to a team like Notre Dame or another team from a power-four conference in the event Notre Dame has a down year. Changes to the College Football Playoff are expected for the 2025 season. This meeting between the Big Ten and SEC occurred just a week before FBS Conference commissioners will gather to review the first year of the twelve-team playoff.
Given their central role in the playoff, the Big Ten and SEC are likely to take the lead in this review. However, as the two best football conferences in the country, their contributions to the playoff process are undeniable. Hopefully, the conference commissioners and the playoff committee can come to an agreement soon to continue improving college football. They’ve gotten the concept right by adopting a playoff structure similar to the NFL, but the key now is getting the seeding process right.
