SEC commissioner: Expanding CFP by 2026 'won't be easy'

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on the stage during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

SEC Commissioner: Expanding College Football Playoff by 2026 'won't be easy'

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 9/3/22

On Friday, the College Football Playoff board of managers voted unanimously to expand the playoff to 12 teams.

The plan is to implement expansion by 2026 at the latest, but many believe the 12-team playoff could debut even sooner.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey isn't so sure.

"If history's a lesson to help us understand the future, it won't be easy," Sankey said regarding the CFP expanding by 2026. "But minds change, motivations change. There's a bunch of moving parts. That's where I wish we could have used the last nine months to work. We'll have to accelerate our consideration to make it happen."

@SEC @GregSankey @CFBPlayoff : pic.twitter.com/AlvbfHTdL4
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 2, 2022

Ultimately, commissioners will decide when expansion happens and how the new playoff bracket is determined.

According to several reports, the new format could resemble the 12-team playoff proposed by the CFP working group. If that's the case, the playoff would include the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large teams.

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