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re: Greg Sankey would like to see the playoff expand to 16. It’s not ideal, but this is what
Posted on 11/17/25 at 5:45 pm to Nitro Express
Posted on 11/17/25 at 5:45 pm to Nitro Express
You guys are just funny. It’s not Sankey it’s the public. The tv ratings and excitement for an expanded playoff are there so they’ll expand. Sure, the bluebloods don’t like it because they’d rather only play 1 or 2 games to win another Natty, but everyone else loves it. We’ll be at 24 within a decade and each P4 conference will have 4 or 5 auto bids and the conferences can choose their representatives anyway they want. Polls will become irrelevant.
The way to build the sport isn’t pandering to fanbases who are already dedicated, aka southeast and Midwest. The way to grow and bring in more money is to give other fans a chance. And before you start whining about “we’ll stop watching, etc” you’ll easily be replaced.
The way to build the sport isn’t pandering to fanbases who are already dedicated, aka southeast and Midwest. The way to grow and bring in more money is to give other fans a chance. And before you start whining about “we’ll stop watching, etc” you’ll easily be replaced.
1
Posted on 11/17/25 at 5:48 pm to Nasty_Canasta
Drop the conference championship games, give the G6 their own playoff and this will all make a lot more sense.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 5:51 pm to GAT BoilerPickle Doc
quote:
24 teams with no automatic bids for conference champions and junior varsity G5 teams
Why even have a regular season?
You can pencil in the same 8 SEC teams into the playoff every single year.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 6:12 pm to RunningJacket
Sankey is owned by ESPN, always has been. That is a double edged sword.
Those who wanted Texas and OU in the Conference, this was inevitable to happen. It meant a 9 game schedule would be inevitable and a 9 game schedule means you need more Playoff berths. All of this is about Super Conferences and money long term and anyone that is a traditionalist is going to hate it. This is NFL lite now with NIL and it isn't going back, either adapt or die.
The "P4" will also go away soon and become the "P2". The Big 12 and ACC can't keep up, at best they have a few teams that can try and every year the mountain will get taller for them. Texas Tech is hanging in because they have a billionaire former player that is using it as a plaything and buying any player that wants to move to Lubbock. No one else in that conference has a chance. The ACC is dying a slow death as Clemson, FSU, and Miami will see it get harder and harder to compete with smaller TV money, less exposure, and they don't have monster donors. Notre Dame will eventually join the B1G, their entrance into the AAU was a sign that was inevitable.
Once you just accept that what you knew as college football and the SEC is gone and something new has replaced it then you can choose to enjoy the new thing or not. It's not stopping and at least the SEC is a "have" in a world that will be filled with "have nots".
Also, if you look long term the SEC is set to dominate everything. The B1G has a few teams that carry all the baggage and a ton of teams that are perfectly happy to get a fat check and hope to make a bowl game every so often. They are there for the TV money and the Research coalition, they DGAF about investing in NIL and coaches and stadiums and facilities anymore than they have to. ESPN also has a great deal with the SEC for now but that deal will eventually end and the SEC will have all the leverage when it does. The SEC is their most valuable commodity because it drives ratings and it has massive loyal fanbases that will pay whatever to keep ESPN as a service. Without the SEC, ESPN is screwed so they will have to pay whatever they ask otherwise Fox could counter and essentially own college football. The SEC is the only place where the schools and teams are growing, everyone else is static or declining as a whole.
Also, the fact ESPN owns the Playoff means they will put their finger on the scale and protect their SEC investment. If it's 16 teams you will have 7 SEC teams pretty much every year. Expect the number of "auto bids" to decline or just go away. it's all the slow journey to Super Conferences and NFL lite.
Those who wanted Texas and OU in the Conference, this was inevitable to happen. It meant a 9 game schedule would be inevitable and a 9 game schedule means you need more Playoff berths. All of this is about Super Conferences and money long term and anyone that is a traditionalist is going to hate it. This is NFL lite now with NIL and it isn't going back, either adapt or die.
The "P4" will also go away soon and become the "P2". The Big 12 and ACC can't keep up, at best they have a few teams that can try and every year the mountain will get taller for them. Texas Tech is hanging in because they have a billionaire former player that is using it as a plaything and buying any player that wants to move to Lubbock. No one else in that conference has a chance. The ACC is dying a slow death as Clemson, FSU, and Miami will see it get harder and harder to compete with smaller TV money, less exposure, and they don't have monster donors. Notre Dame will eventually join the B1G, their entrance into the AAU was a sign that was inevitable.
Once you just accept that what you knew as college football and the SEC is gone and something new has replaced it then you can choose to enjoy the new thing or not. It's not stopping and at least the SEC is a "have" in a world that will be filled with "have nots".
Also, if you look long term the SEC is set to dominate everything. The B1G has a few teams that carry all the baggage and a ton of teams that are perfectly happy to get a fat check and hope to make a bowl game every so often. They are there for the TV money and the Research coalition, they DGAF about investing in NIL and coaches and stadiums and facilities anymore than they have to. ESPN also has a great deal with the SEC for now but that deal will eventually end and the SEC will have all the leverage when it does. The SEC is their most valuable commodity because it drives ratings and it has massive loyal fanbases that will pay whatever to keep ESPN as a service. Without the SEC, ESPN is screwed so they will have to pay whatever they ask otherwise Fox could counter and essentially own college football. The SEC is the only place where the schools and teams are growing, everyone else is static or declining as a whole.
Also, the fact ESPN owns the Playoff means they will put their finger on the scale and protect their SEC investment. If it's 16 teams you will have 7 SEC teams pretty much every year. Expect the number of "auto bids" to decline or just go away. it's all the slow journey to Super Conferences and NFL lite.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 6:24 pm to Rodo
Take away the fourth-place teams making the playoffs.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 6:38 pm to Nasty_Canasta
Should be at least 16 if not more.
Every other college football divsion, college basketball/baseball, the NFL, NBA, and MLB have a lot higher total teams to playoff ratio.
It's beyond time to get rid of meaningless bowls and really expand the playoffs.
Every other college football divsion, college basketball/baseball, the NFL, NBA, and MLB have a lot higher total teams to playoff ratio.
It's beyond time to get rid of meaningless bowls and really expand the playoffs.
Posted on 11/17/25 at 6:45 pm to Mizzoustance
Maybe the “big” 10 could hire him then. I doubt many in the SEC would beg him to stay
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