Heather Dinich gauges power of SEC, Big Ten influence on College Football Playoff

On Friday, ESPN’s Heather Dinich broke the news that all 10 FBS conference along with Notre Dame agreed to terms on a contract with the College Football Playoff beginning in 2026.

The deal would reportedly bring a 14-team playoff closer to reality, along with giving out guarantees for conference champions. Two conferences, however, might have a bit more say in the room than the others. Dinich joined the Paul Finebaum Show on Monday to discuss how the SEC and Big Ten’s new advisory group might impact these discussions moving forward.

“Right now, they’ve got more the power in the room with the College Football Playoff — and that’s very important because that’s written into the contract,” Dinich told Finebaum. “And you’ve heard me say before on the show and other places that the SEC is the biggest, wealthiest, most powerful conference along with the Big Ten. Well, now that power is on paper. They’ve given the SEC and the Big Ten the bulk of authority to determine what the College Football Playoff looks like.

“So if Tony Petitti feels very strongly about a 16-team format, and he can convince Greg Sankey of that, and they read the room and that’s what they want to do — then they can do that.”

Reports over the last several weeks have noted that Petitti has had discussions in the past with CFP models including adding as many as 14-16 teams to the playoff system. Due to the fact that the majority of soon-to-be former members of the Pac 12 will move to other major conferences, some conferences are accommodating for 16-18 teams beginning next athletic calendar year. Although, Dinich has said that there is no indication anything will change in the short-term.

Still, among the nine other entities that make up the new deal with the CFP, the SEC and Big Ten have seats at the head of the table.

“That’s how powerful that partnership is,” Dinich continued. “And like I said, it’s on paper and everyone else agreed to it. So that’s what it means. Will that happen? I don’t know.

“Like I said, sources have strongly indicated that 14 is the direction that it’s heading, and they could wait and see just how 12 plays out. I would be surprised if they went the whole season before they determine that. But that’s where that is right now — it’s just significant power in the room.”