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Greg Sankey takes shot at West Coast programs while discusses 12-team CFP field

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•05/31/23•

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After debating various models for more than 18 months, the SEC agreed on a “stop-gap” eight-game (1 permanent rival, seven rotating opponents) schedule in 2024. (Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports)

Expansion in college football, both conference and playoff, is on the horizon. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been instrumental to both, with the 12-team playoff affecting everyone across the country. For the most part, the four-team iteration has been dominated by the SEC but more teams will now have the opportunity to win a national championship.

Sankey explained how that’s the real positive of the 12-team playoff, using the West Coast as an example. In what might have come off as a ricochet shot at the Pac-12, Sankey pointed out how nobody in the Pacific Time Zone has been in the playoff in over six years.

“Going to 12 brings people into the opportunity,” Sankey said. “It provides a national championship format and the reality is, we have not seen a Western team — I think TCU is the most Western team since Washington in 2016. When I look at the expansion and the reason for that is to bring people in to create opportunity.”

Oregon and Washington are the only two Pac-12 teams to have a College Football Playoff appearance to their name. USC and even Utah have been close in the past but have not been able to be one of the final four teams on Selection Sunday.

With the new CFP rules, an automatic bid will be given out to the top six conference champions. More likely than not, the Pac-12 will have a guaranteed spot on an annual basis.

Business as usual for the SEC under Greg Sankey

As for the SEC, Sankey believes the 12-team playoff will be business as usual. The strength of the conference will continue to show as more teams are invited to the postseason, proven by last year’s end results.

“I think for us, with an eight or nine-game schedule, we’ll still carry forward multiple teams being under full consideration,” Sankey said. “You look at the way last year ended, it shows the strength of the conference. Wonderfully close game with Ohio State, which shows there are a lot of teams that can compete at that level. We had teams at five and six.”

Based on last season’s final rankings, three SEC teams would have made the 12-team playoff. Georgia finished No. 1 overall, while Alabama and Tennessee are the two other schools mentioned by Sankey. Only the Big Ten would have had as many, with Michigan and Penn State joining Ohio State.