IRVING, Texas -- As more stakeholders in charge of the College Football Playoff express a willingness to consider the Big Ten's proposed 24-team playoff, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on Wednesday reiterated his league's preference for a 16-team field following the annual CFP spring meetings.
Sankey, who spoke to a small group of reporters following the conclusion of two days of meetings at the Ritz Carlton in Las Colinas, declined to state his preference for a playoff model, instead referring to his December comment when he said a 16-team format is "the right next step." He also referenced last year's SEC spring meetings, during which the conference publicly supported a model that included five conference champions and the next 11-best teams.
"Last year we came out of Destin with very clear messaging," he said. "Haven't changed at this point."
Others have. Multiple sources have said the ACC, Big 12 and Notre Dame are leaning toward a 24-team field, though Notre Dame would still prefer a 16-team model. In order for the format to change after this season, though, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and Sankey have to agree on it because they have the bulk of control over it.
While the SEC presidents and chancellors continue to prefer the 16-team model, some coaches and athletic directors in the league have publicly and privately expressed interest in a 24-team model -- a topic Sankey said they all talked about extensively in February. ("The First Amendment is alive and well," he deadpanned.)
Sankey said the SEC's decision to move to a nine-game league schedule without expanding the playoff has created some stress "for those who express opinions that 'I wouldn't have voted for that if I didn't know we weren't going to expand,'" he said. "We put all that on the table."
"I understand why some of my members are frustrated because the stress around losses, the desire for clarity on selection, no matter what the number is," he said.
The regular season, though, and the month of November through the playoff have continued to generate interest, Sankey said. The same topics that were raised before the playoff expanded from four to 12 -- sanctity of the regular season, impact on the players, when the games are played -- "should all be part of the conversation," he said.
If the CFP goes to a 24-team model, conference championship games would likely be eliminated. While some, including Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne, have questioned the value of the SEC title game, Sankey reiterated the game's contract.
"We have contracts and opinions are expressed, but we have contracts that are dealt with," he said. "So we have a championship game."
CFP executive director Rich Clark said that while some commissioners have a model they prefer, the room is "open" to discussing all options.
"I wish I could say that it was just about changing the format, but when you look at everything that it impacts, we don't want to leave a stone unturned and make a decision that's going to have second or third order effects that we didn't consider," Clark said. "So I think they did a really good job of considering things that otherwise could come back to haunt us if we don't make a good decision and look at everything that's associated with it."
Clark said that if any changes are going to be made in time for the 2027 season, the decision needs to be made by Dec. 1. Sankey said "we'll see" when asked if he and Petitti can reach a consensus by the Dec. 1 deadline.
It was followed by about 20 seconds of what Sankey described as "awkward silence."
Petitti declined comment following the meetings.