The SEC Had a Chance to Stop a 24-Team College Football Playoff — But Didn't

College football is getting a much bigger playoff. The College Football Playoff (CFP) and the TV network ESPN have reached an informal deal to expand the playoff from 12 teams to 24 teams starting next year. Many fans are upset about this change, and some people think the Southeastern Conference (SEC) could have stopped it. Instead, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey decided to go along with the plan.

For a long time, the SEC wanted a 16-team playoff. Most other conferences agreed with that number, except for the Big Ten. Then Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti pushed for 24 teams instead. After that, many conferences switched sides and said they liked 24 teams even better. The idea of 16 teams was quickly dropped.

Not everyone in the SEC was happy about this change. Georgia's university president, Jere Morehead, said in May that a 24-team playoff would 'be a mistake.' He worried that it would make regular-season games feel less important. He said he was okay with 16 teams, but jumping straight from 12 to 24 scared him.

So why did the SEC go along with 24 teams if some leaders had doubts? A big reason was the SEC's new nine-game conference schedule. When leaders looked at the numbers, they saw that more teams could make a 24-team playoff. Athletic directors and coaches liked the idea of more playoff spots, because it can mean more job security.

The SEC actually had the power to block this change. The SEC and the Big Ten shared decision-making power over the CFP. If the SEC had said no, the playoff would have stayed at 12 teams until at least the 2031–32 season. That means Sankey had a real choice, and many fans wish he had used it differently.

Some people even talked about a bold backup plan. If the CFP went to 24 teams, the SEC could have left and started its own separate playoff. Georgia's president Morehead called that idea 'fantastic.' The plan was that by threatening to leave, the SEC might have gotten a better deal — like staying at 16 teams.

But in the end, not enough people in the SEC wanted to take that risk. The conference decided it was better to join the 24-team playoff and make the best of it. Fans who disliked the expansion were hoping the SEC would stand firm and be a kind of hero. Instead, college football's most powerful conference chose to go along with the crowd.

Now, the bigger playoff is likely coming, and history shows that playoffs almost never shrink once they grow. The SEC had a chance to slow things down or push for a middle ground, but that moment has passed. Whether the 24-team playoff turns out to be a great idea or a big mistake, college football fans will have to wait and see.