Fans don’t want a CFP with one league in total control
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Syracuse Orange fans should be paying attention to the CFP expansion discussion. We know that the CFP will expand, but the how is embroiled in a power struggle that is playing out in the media.
Th SEC and B10 want to expand to 16 teams with each getting a minimum of 4 spots each and the ACC and B12 have decided not to just roll over (for now) and it’s made SEC commissioner Greg Sankey mad (but don’t post that he’s mad online).
Greg Sankey from his SEC media session in Destin: "I don’t need lectures from others about the good of the game......or coordinating press releases about the good of the game." He references the Big 12 and ACC releases in wake of seeding vote last week.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) May 26, 2025
SEC's Greg Sankey said in current College Football Playoff format, "it's clear that not losing" is more important than playing quality opponents
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 26, 2025
Tell that to the 2023 FSU undefeated team which got left out for a one-loss team from...oh yeah it was a SEC team that got added despite FSU winning all their games before the field was announced.
If the CFP had never expanded from four schools, then last year the SEC and B10 would have completely shut the ACC and B12 out of the proceedings. It would have clearly been Georgia, Texas, Oregon and Penn State playing, but Sankey wants more and more. This would be a great time for Phillips to grow a pair and stand up for his schools.
The ACC/B12 counter proposal is to award 5 auto-bids to the P4 conference champions and the top G5 champion. The remaining 11 at-large bids would then be selected by the CFP committee. Seems pretty fair, especially when you think that the SEC would be rewarded for having a strong strength of schedule. That advantage would give them a strong chance at earning more than four bids in the format.....but apparently the SEC and their leader are scared.
According to SEC ADs, the answer to why a 5+11 would not be "fine" is that:
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 27, 2025
1) SEC would't move to 9 conference games
2) SEC couldn't hold the long-discussed play-in games
3) reliance on the selection committee
The SEC is already talking about leaving the NCAA so why roll over again and again because we know the end game here. Giving them inch after inch has just led to them taking college football to edge of the cliff and forcing the other schools to submit.
The sport that has survived decades of being run by idiots in suits suddenly has to worry about one man hell-bent on making it so his bloated league gets the money and the best chances to win the CFP. No one told Sankey he had to add Texas...maybe someone needs to tell him to stop crying and if that person isn’t going to be Jim Phillips, then we’ll just have to keep putting a spotlight on things like this..
If you still think a three-loss Alabama with losses to Vandy and Oklahoma should have gone into the playoff ahead of a one-loss Indiana you probably want the committee to introduce recruiting ratings as an evaluation metric.
— David Ubben (@davidubben) May 27, 2025
Yes Gregory, in fact winning games does matter.
