Big Ten, SEC Remain at Odds Over Future of College Football Playoff

The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference remain deadlocked over the future format of the College Football Playoff, with an extended Friday deadline approaching and no agreement in place following Sunday’s annual business meeting of CFP leaders.

The SEC wants to move to 16 games, while the Big Ten wants to move to 24 games in the next several years.

Under a memorandum of understanding signed by all 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, the Big Ten and SEC hold the most influence over what the playoff will look like beginning in 2026.

If the playoffs move to 16 games, the Rose Bowl Game would evolve from its current quarterfinal/semifinal rotation in the 12-team era to a more consistent quarterfinal site.

If the format moves to 24 games, the Rose Bowl would likely remain a key playoff venue, but its traditional New Year’s Day slot and traditional Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup could be significantly altered due to the increased number of games and desire for prime TV windows.

More than 22 million people watched this year’s Rose Bowl Game, more than any other CFP game so far including the semifinal games. Viewership for Monday’s championship game were not available at press time.

“Still more work to do,” Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said as he walked past a crowd of reporters outside the meeting room at the Loews hotel.

If Petitti and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey cannot reach a deal by Friday—a deadline set by ESPN, the CFP’s sole television partner—the playoff will remain at 12 teams for at least another year.

There is widespread support among conference leaders for expanding the field to 16 teams as soon as 2026. But the Big Ten has linked its approval to a commitment to expand again to 24 teams three years later, a move the SEC has so far resisted.

Sankey and Mississippi State President Mark Keenum, who chairs the CFP Board of Managers, have said publicly that the SEC favors a 16-team model. Sources said Sankey is reluctant to lock into a 24-team format now. He was not immediately available for comment after the meeting.

A 24-team playoff would likely force conferences to abandon championship games, a major revenue source for the SEC. Some leaders have also expressed concern about the potential impact on the regular season, sources said.