Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said at SEC Media Days in Atlanta that his league and the Big Ten remain at odds over the post-2025 College Football Playoff format, and the playoff could stay at 12 teams if no agreement is reached. Sankey, who spoke with Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti four times last week, outlined dueling proposals. The Big Ten backs a 4-4-2-2-1 plan that would guarantee four CFP berths apiece to the SEC and Big Ten, while the SEC now favors a 16-team bracket with the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large bids. Under the CFP contract that begins in 2026, the two conferences can enact any model they both endorse, but they must notify rights-holder ESPN by Dec. 1 if they want changes before the 2026 season. The SEC is simultaneously ‘continuing to evaluate’ whether to keep its eight-game football conference schedule or expand to nine, a point the Big Ten says should accompany any at-large-heavy playoff plan. Sankey also reiterated the SEC’s support for enlarging the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, underscoring the broader shake-up underway across college sports.