SEC Remains Only Conference Pushing Back Against 24-Team CFP Expansion

May 14, 2026 Michael Brauner Alabama, Alabama, Auburn, Auburn, Featured News
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 30: Two Auburn Tigers flags cross in the end zone after a touchdown during the TransPerfect Music City Bowl between the Auburn Tigers and Maryland Terrapins, December 30, 2023 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire)

Radical change has become almost a daily occurrence in today’s day and age of college football, whether it be NIL issues, the transfer portal or conference re-alignment.

By far the most contentious situation over the last couple of years though has been the structure of the College Football Playoff and how a national champion is crowned. Following a decade of a four-team system, two years ago the CFP expanded to 12 teams and has provided some exciting action in those first two editions.

Now, a push from the powers in the sport — largely television networks, a certain selection of conference commissioners, and really anyone but the fans — has started to snowball for the next edition to be for 24 teams, with two major power players becoming the latest to throw their support behind the proposal.

According to a story from On3, both ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips as well as Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark have expressed their support on behalf of the conferences for the laughably big field.

“We like 24, we want 24,” Yormark said. “There are too many teams getting left out and 24 teams provides the type of access that is warranted.  That being said, we need to do the work around the economics around a 24-team format and make sure we address any unintended consequences.”

“Our desire with the coaches and the ADs is 24,” Phillips added. “When you’re leaving national championship-contending teams out of the playoff, you don’t have the right number. We lived through it, we suffered through it with Florida State, when the field was four…I know other schools have suffered for it. Notre Dame was a CFP worthy team last year and you saw what happened to the last team that got invited with Miami.”

Even as the discussion has changed, the SEC remains steadfast at not expanding past 16. Greg Sankey reiterated that stance this week at the APSE Southeast Region meeting at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, with the only difference now being all three of the other power four conferences pushing for 24.

“That focus hasn’t changed,” Sankey said of the SEC’s desire for 16 teams. “We’re open to the conversation, but there are a lot of ideas out there that have to be supported with analysis and information, not speculation. We’re trying to inform that with research. We’ve done that, from our perspective, with 16. We want to understand, through some analytic support, games that matter in an expanded environment and games that might not matter.”

Where things go from here remain to be seen, but momentum does continue to build towards the 24-team structure. Sankey likely has the power to stop it, however, time will tell whether or not he gives into the rest of the decision makers.