This is an opinion column.

The preeminent conference in college football has it right.

I’m talking about the Big Ten, of course, and its idea of expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams.

The SEC wants 16 for reasons that no longer make sense for the league, but I’m curious to see if league commissioner Greg Sankey is smart enough to admit he’s no longer correct.

I doubt it.

Sankey was once the most powerful suit in college football. Still? The SEC is poor these days, compared to the Big Ten, but Sankey is still clutching tightly in his hands one critical piece of currency. It’s the decision to shape the immediate future of the College Football Playoff.

College football commissioners are meeting in Miami the day before the national championship game to discuss playoff expansion. All the leagues will be represented, but really it’s just an arm-wrestling competition between Sankey of the SEC and commissioner Petitti of the Big Ten.

The Big Ten is pushing for a new 24-team field. The SEC wants 16. Most people believe the meeting will end with nothing being accomplished and the playoff remaining at 12 for at least another year. For the SEC, that would be a mistake.

By the day, the Big Ten is gaining momentum in this new era of college football. I’m not sure how much longer the teams in the SEC can keep up.

There was a time when a limited number of playoff spots helped the SEC remain powerful. It was all about recruiting. No one could do it better than the SEC. That model has changed. Now it’s all about money.

And the Big Ten has more.

The best thing for the SEC is to support a playoff model that democratizes the sport, or at least in theory helps make it a little easier for underprivileged football teams. And isn’t Alabama now one of those meager outposts on the road to another national championship for the Big Ten?

Ole Miss was the only SEC school to make the CFP semifinals this season, and it’s only going to get tougher.

Alabama was a shell of its former self in 2025, but now its best defenders are all defecting for teams up north. Defensive linemen James Smith and Qua Russaw are off to Ohio State and another elite defensive lineman, Keon Keeley, is bound for Notre Dame.

Even defensive line backup Jordan Renaud is leaving Alabama.

It’s disheartening. The Crimson Tide is being bled dry.

I’ve joked about the Big Ten’s War of Northern Aggression, but you can’t really argue with the most important trend of all. The SEC hasn’t won a national championship since 2022. Teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and Indiana are now better positioned for the future. Who’s next?

And don’t even get me started about Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish have gamed the system and its boosters are buying up all the best players. Seeing red after being left out of the playoff field, Notre Dame is my early pick to win the national championship next season.

College football’s balance of power has shifted away from the Deep South. That’s clear. Limiting access to the playoff used to prop up the SEC, but that’s no longer the case. The league with less resources needs to start thinking about playing fairly with others.

The 24-team playoff would be a good place to start.

Is Sankey humble enough to admit the SEC is falling behind? No way. Never. But if Alabama can’t keep up, then you know the rest of the league is in trouble. Look how many teams are replacing staffs? Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Kentucky will all have new coaches in 2026.

Notice anything in common between all of those teams?

Except for Arkansas, they’re old-guard SEC schools. How much longer are the SEC’s millionaires going to keep paying recruits who turn around and leave for more money from billionaires at Texas, Texas A&M and schools in other conferences?

A 24-team playoff gives the SEC the best chance to remain competitive. Here’s a revolutionary thought. Maybe teams won’t fire their coaches so often if it’s easier to make the playoffs. If a four-loss SEC team can still potentially make the playoffs, then why wouldn’t Sankey want to make that happen?

Is the SEC scared of even more competition?

The SEC is moving to nine conference games in 2026. More losses are coming and the league’s reputation is tanking. It’s pretty obvious what happens next.

How much longer will the College Football Playoff selection committee keep giving the SEC the benefit of the doubt?

A deserving Notre Dame team was left out the field this season along with Vanderbilt, BYU, Texas, USC and Utah. Not only that, but the conference championship games no longer make sense. The SEC’s title bout – Georgia 28, Alabama 7 — was a dull day in Atlanta.

The outcome didn’t matter. Both teams still made the playoffs.

Kill the conference championships, expand the playoffs to 24 and give more teams home playoff games. Advantage: SEC.

Sankey isn’t going to agree to a 24-team field for next season. That’s the expectation. He’s going to say that other issues in college football need to be addressed before making such a drastic leap. He’s just delaying the inevitable, though.

And in the meantime, more players in his league are going to find better-playing jobs in the Big Ten.

MAILBAG SOUND OFF

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