{"id":2264,"date":"2026-05-31T14:33:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T14:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264"},"modified":"2026-05-31T14:33:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T14:33:41","slug":"last-man-standing-secs-greg-sankey-resists-rush-toward-24-team-cfp-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264","title":{"rendered":"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

SANDESTIN \u2014 As pressure mounts from nearly every corner of college athletics, Greg Sankey is in no hurry to move.<\/p>\n

Read more Blue Origin gets closer look at New Glenn launch pad damage after explosion<\/a><\/p>\n

The deliberate, measured SEC commissioner spent last week\u2019s conference Spring Meetings on Florida\u2019s Panhandle in a familiar position: standing firm while others pushed for change.<\/p>\n

Amid College Football Playoff expansion, conference realignment, governance issues that have reached Capitol Hill or the future of the NCAA itself, Sankey has emerged as an influential gatekeeper \u2014 and perhaps the last prominent voice urging caution.<\/p>\n

The financial forces driving change are real.<\/p>\n

Revenue sharing with athletes is stretching budgets. NIL opportunities redirect money toward players rather than athletic departments. Television revenue is increasingly key to balancing the books, leaving schools searching for every possible source of income.<\/p>\n

Those realities have intensified the calls to expand the CFP to 24 teams just two years after the format went from four participants to 12.<\/p>\n

Expansion talk prominent at SEC meetings<\/h4>\n

The issue dominated conversations during the three days of Spring Meetings, where conference leaders wrestled with the future of college sports.<\/p>\n

Some administrators, led by Georgia\u2019s president, Jere Morehead, even suggested the SEC eventually consider breaking away unless the NCAA cannot better address tampering, eligibility disputes and enforcement tied to the the House settlement.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThat is a really draconian step,\u201d said Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin. \u201cI don\u2019t think you can make up your own rules and still compete against others who are following different rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

When meetings concluded Thursday, all options remained on the table.<\/p>\n

But the most pressure-packed issue facing Sankey remains playoff expansion, with a Dec. 1 deadline approaching if changes are to be made to the CFP format.<\/p>\n

As the most powerful figure in college athletics, Sankey is resisting public opinion and growing sentiment within his own conference to expand.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and Group of Six leagues continue to advocate for a 24-team playoff. Sankey favors growing to 16, if expansion happens at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve not stated opposition to 24,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve stated support of 16.\u201d<\/p>\n

His distinction matters.<\/p>\n

Many SEC athletic directors and coaches have warmed to the idea of a 24-team field. More playoff access would create additional opportunities for revenue and help justify the considerable investment schools continue making in football.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to think of the unintended consequences when we make decisions to move in whatever direction we decide to go,\u201d Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. \u201cBut I think change is inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n

More info before rush to change<\/h4>\n

This sense of inevitability has left Sankey publicly at odds with longtime colleagues and friends in his own league. Yet he continues to ask questions many others seem eager to move past.<\/p>\n

Sankey wants more information before committing to a larger playoff field \u2014 and to learn more before expecting ESPN to significantly increase its investment in a postseason package. The network is already paying roughly $1.3 billion annually through the 2031-32 season.<\/p>\n

Not everyone believes Sankey\u2019s caution is misplaced.<\/p>\n

Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts echoed some of his commissioner\u2019s concerns. A former All-American at Nebraska, Alberts wants to better understand the effects of expanding to 12 teams before growing again just two years after increasing from the four-team model in place since 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember back, \u2018Oh gosh, are we going to devalue the regular season by going to 12?\u2019\u201d Alberts recalled. \u201cWe have some data that shows we didn\u2019t. The regular season was still protected. But, man, we haven\u2019t done that very long, and so sprinting to something else without a little bit more data, without understanding \u2026 we have to be deliberative and be careful, because you can\u2019t go back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more A rematch of 1999: It\u2019s Spurs vs. Knicks for NBA title, after teams met in NBA Cup final as well<\/a><\/p>\n

Concerns include player health, scheduling<\/h4>\n

Reservations extend beyond playoff math.<\/p>\n

An expanded postseason would create challenges involving scheduling, conflicts with the NFL calendar, Early Signing Day, transfer portal timing and player health.<\/p>\n

It also could signal the end of the SEC Championship.<\/p>\n

Played annually since 1992, the title game has become a popular and valuable asset, generating upwards of $100 million in revenue. Eliminating the game would intensify the pressure for playoff expansion to offset those losses.<\/p>\n

SEC schools with vast athletic departments \u2014 Florida and Georgia each sponsor 21 sports, for example \u2014 bank on football revenue to fund other programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really more worried about the financial burden that we\u2019re under right now of paying for all of the athletic department,\u201d Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. \u201cWhen you take that revenue stream out, can we make it work? Is it sustainable to do without it, would be my biggest concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

ESPN has not definitively indicated an appetite to increase its college football inventory. If negotiations stall, the SEC could ultimately let Fox in the henhouse.<\/p>\n

Such a move would further strengthen the Big Ten\u2019s position.<\/p>\n

The conference already distributes more money to its members. Big Ten schools averaged $76.1 million in conference revenue during the 2024-25 fiscal year, with Ohio State receiving more than $91 million.<\/p>\n

The SEC handed out $72.4 million per institution and the league office, though 2024 newcomers Texas and Oklahoma received reduced shares during their transition year.<\/p>\n

Big Ten\u2019s trophy case filling up<\/h4>\n

At the same time, the Big Ten is winning where it matters most.<\/p>\n

The conference has produced the past three national champions and seized momentum after two decades of SEC dominance. From 2006 to 2022, SEC schools produced 13 national champions. Ohio State\u2019s 2014 title represented the Big Ten\u2019s lone championship.<\/p>\n

The balance of power recently has shifted.<\/p>\n

The SEC has not played for a national championship during the past three seasons. The conference is 0-4 in head-to-head CFP meetings against the Big Ten in that stretch. Meanwhile, the Big Ten owns a 15-4 CFB record against non-Big Ten foes, while the SEC is just 3-7.<\/p>\n

Still, Sankey rejects the notion the SEC has lost its place atop the sport.<\/p>\n

The 61-year-old from New York noted the SEC\u2019s 37 games on ABC and ESPN averaged 7.3 million viewers last season. The league also had a CFP-high five teams in the 2025 field.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at the entirety of our league, we are by far the most competitive, the strongest football league \u2014 by far,\u201d Sankey said. \u201cBut you\u2019re going to lose games when it\u2019s close and competitive like that. So why have they surpassed us? It\u2019s an oddball, it\u2019s bounced a couple times the wrong way.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cited Alabama\u2019s overtime loss to eventual national champion Michigan in the 2023 playoff and Ole Miss\u2019 last-second defeat against Miami as razor-thin outcomes determining perceptions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are small margins between winning and losing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe prevailed by those small margins a number of times.\u201d<\/p>\n

As college football races toward another round of transformative change, Sankey remains unmoved by the momentum around him. Expansion appears inevitable, while change is essential.<\/p>\n

For now, Sankey is unfazed and unflinchingly confident in the SEC\u2019s current position \u2014 and its future.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can assure you that everyone in this league is trying to figure out how to come up on the top end,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump to headline \u2018Great American State Fair\u2019 for nation\u2019s 250th anniversary after artists drop out<\/a><\/p>\n

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey remains college football’s primary bulwark as pressure mounts to double the CFP field to 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-sports","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nLast man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion - Orlando Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SEC commissioner Greg Sankey remains college football's primary bulwark as pressure mounts to double the CFP field to 24.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Orlando Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-31T14:33:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8\"},\"headline\":\"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-31T14:33:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264\"},\"wordCount\":1248,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"College Sports\",\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264\",\"name\":\"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion - Orlando Relocation Report\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-31T14:33:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":759},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?p=2264#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Orlando Relocation Report\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/orlandorelocationreport.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion - Orlando Relocation Report","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion - Orlando Relocation Report","og_description":"SEC commissioner Greg Sankey remains college football's primary bulwark as pressure mounts to double the CFP field to 24.","og_url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264","og_site_name":"Orlando Relocation Report","article_published_time":"2026-05-31T14:33:41+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8"},"headline":"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion","datePublished":"2026-05-31T14:33:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264"},"wordCount":1248,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp","articleSection":["College Sports","Sports"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264","url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264","name":"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion - Orlando Relocation Report","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-31T14:33:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ba0ba7c3323c7f891a5fd8d8d43ca82d.webp","width":1024,"height":759},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2264#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Last man standing: SEC\u2019s Greg Sankey resists rush toward 24-team CFP expansion"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/","name":"Orlando Relocation Report","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/#\/schema\/person\/47d95744296542489ff5c4bd403450f8","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com"],"url":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}