Big Ten, SEC leaders discuss College Football Playoff changes with seeding,
The meeting Dallas in a few days, grab your 🍿as all the Conferences and ND first vote on seeding for 2025, it must be unanimous to change anything on 2025. However, Sankey and Pettiti will have the power in 2026, to do what’s best for their Conferences. That leverage could easily influence the 2025 vote. What is not totally apparent is where ESPN stands on paying for extra regular season (9 for SEC & ACC) and if they go to either 14 or 16 playoff games. I have no doubt that is because they are negotiating the payout.
PS I still stick with ending the Conference Championship games with whomever, and adding week 0 non-conference rivalry games in week 0. Then give Army Navy what has been Conference Championship weekend, then start the 16 team playoff the next week, which is a week earlier, no byes, highest ranked 8 get home games. That way it’s over a week earlier and doesn’t butt up to the NFL playoffs as much. Then every team gets a bye the Army Navy weekend. *They do need preset criteria for rankings that encourage an aggressive regular season schedule. *Tweak it only after the season is over.
* These are to build MORE INTEGRITY in the system, “not perfect integrity” (perfection is not achievable), but the goal needs to be MORE INTEGRITY!!!
** Edited by Stech at 2/20/2025, 8:27:59 AM
45 Replies
1y
4 for the SEC and B1G. Not sure if the Big 12 is on board.
(In response to this post by Stech)
V
VTCALS72
1y
Philips/ACC don't do. More likely this is one of the 1st things that the non P2 seem to have any real say in.
(In response to this post by Sunsetunderground)
1y
No way the G5 sign off on that.
The only way 16 happens with auto bids is maybe the following
4 SEC
4 BIG
6 total among ACC/B12/PAC (with only 1 guaranteed per conference)
1 G5
1 ND or at large if they don’t qualify
As I think about it, I wouldn’t mind seeing SEC/BIG guaranteed 8 spots, but only 3 each are locked. The other two spots are up for grabs between them so that one could get 5 spots any given year.
And the ACC/B12/PAC could try to get up to 4 spots any given year.
** Edited by HokieAl at 2/20/2025, 5:33:10 PM
(In response to this post by Sunsetunderground)
1y
For the playoffs at the end of the 2025 season, all 10 commissioners and the ND ad have to vote yes in this upcoming meeting in order to revise the seeding. The ACC and Big XII apparently have noted they are not in favor of this.
But they could vote yes for it, and put conditions on that yes vote. Probably a pipe dream, but they could say yes to reseeding the CFP this year, and in exchange, agree to expand the playoff to 16 (not 14). The SEC and Big10 would get their four automatic qualifiers, and the ACC & BigXII two each. But then the SEC and Big10 would get no more bids - four would be the max. After those 12 automatic slots are filled, the other 4 go to Notre Dame, other leagues, independents and yes, ACC and Big XII at-larges. Since the money is already allocated ($377 M to the SEC and Big10, $222 M to the ACC), and the automatic bids have been granted, the SEC and Big10 might even be satisfied. Doubtful, but maybe.
(In response to this post by Stech)
1y
They aren't exactly the Greater Good Guys!! :-)
*Like you said.
** Edited by Stech at 2/20/2025, 12:06:28 PM
(In response to this post by Roanokie)
1y
if the ACC and B12 have any fight left in them, and awareness of the implications, then they will stop any attempt to reseed. It's more than just game matchups. It is tangible economic impact for schools and communities that is at risk.
** Edited by HokieAl at 2/20/2025, 10:44:07 AM
(In response to this post by Roanokie)
1y
You might be right, but I have not seen how they do it, one way or another.
(In response to this post by HokieAl)
1y
For this recent playoff and the one coming after the 25-26 season:
$4 million for each of the 12 teams that make the CFP.
$4 million more for the eight teams in the CFP quarterfinals.
$6 million more for the four teams in the CFP semifinals.
$6 million for two teams in the CFP National Championship Game.
So last year the ACC got $8 million, the Big10 got $40M and the SEC got $26M. But after this year, ESPN starts paying $1.3 billion annually. It is already going to divided by conference based on a formula and not by number of teams, or number of teams advancing.
Big10 and SEC will each get $377,000,000 annually (29%). The ACC will get $222,300,000 annually (17.1%). The BigXII will get $191,000,000 annually (14.7%).
(In response to this post by Stech)
1y
(In response to this post by Roanokie)
1y
For example, if VT played at South Carolina in the first round of the playoffs, both teams would get $x million from the media money.
But South Carolina would get all the local economic impact and benefit from a home game. Hotels, restaurants, merchandise, food and beverage at the stadium, parking, etc. Plus those benefits extend to the surrounding state as people travel to and from the game.
Now imagine if VT was a 10-2 team but South Carolina got the home game as an 8-4 team just because they were in the SEC and seeded higher. That's a **** ton of economic impact that could have gone to Blacksburg and VA but instead goes to Columbia and SC.
I don't know if the conference commissioners are thinking along those lines, but they should be considering all the outcomes of their decisions.
(In response to this post by Stech)
1y
(In response to this post by HokieAl)
1y
You're never winning a national championship going forward. Your reward for a "good" season is to get slaughtered in the playoff.
(In response to this post by Stech)
V
VTCALS72
1y
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
BYU just bought the #1 basketball recruit in the country. SMU can spend millions on teams just like Ohio State can. They can probably outspend most in the P2 and will with their billionaire donors. Miami also did this for years before they got caught. It will take boosters with cash but it's not impossible.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
when the reinforced national perception is that the ACC and Big 12 are the junior leagues, and the broadcast slots they get from their media partners, and the P2 having double the number of AQ slots in the CFP also reflect that perception. If players can play in the Big 10 and the SEC, they are not going to play at NCSU and have their games on ACCN and ACCNX when they could be playing on national over-the-air ABC or FOX. The only thing NIL affects is players that are riding the pine at SEC and Big 10 schools. Yes, those players will leave to go elsewhere, so they can actually play. If they're getting PT on a P2 squad, they're not leaving to go play in a baby back league. SMU can pay whatever they want, but no player is going to choose to play at SMU when they could play at Ohio State. Sorry, not happening. And, BYU can buy whatever high school recruit they want - do you really think, given the choice between playing at BYU or Kentucky that high school prospect is going to stay at BYU?
I know you're probably sitting there reading this and telling yourself I don't know what I'm talking about. Let me give you a little thought experiment that should demonstrate to you why I'm right - if the UFL, tomorrow, started paying NFL salaries, do you think players that have the choice of either would want to play in the NFL or the UFL?
** Edited by Baltimore_Hokie at 2/20/2025, 2:54:07 PM
(In response to this post by Sunsetunderground)
1y
There always have been and always will be instances in which an individual athlete makes a decision that goes against the norm. For example, Kevin Jones came to Tech instead of staying home to play at Penn State or going to Ohio State, USC or Oklahoma, etc., as one would generally expect the number one running back in the country to do.
A kid might choose BYU because he’s Mormon. Another kid might choose WVU because his dad went there and he grew up watching games there. Some other kid might go to Kentucky because he’s a local and some UK bajillionaire decided to pay him a bazillion bucks to stay and play in Lexington.
But in the aggregate, the greatest concentration of four and five stars are going to go to Ohio State and Alabama and a few others, because they almost always have and almost always will.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
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VTCALS72
1y
The only quibble I would have is that a player living a Mormon lifestyle gets a BYU offer, that is one thing that can offset the cash.
Same for a lot of Catholics and ND. AND same for at least some Evangelist with Liberty. But those are the exceptions.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
and has always dreamed of playing for OSU. Insert any school.
(In response to this post by VTCALS72)
D
daveinop
1y
Bluebloods will still get first pick, but they won't get all of the picks. No good player is going to take the same $ to sit vs. play. And even the powerhouses can't afford to burn cash on prospects that aren't seeing the field when they can always get what they want from the portal to restock.
It will never be a truly level playing field, but it never has been.
** Edited by daveinop at 2/20/2025, 4:12:25 PM
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
I said that, even for good money, they will not choose or stay at ACC or B12 schools if they have a chance to play at a P2 program.
You say it has never been a truly level playing field, but we are now living in a paradigm where you have a better chance to get on TV playing at Kentucky or Maryland than at VT or Miami.
(In response to this post by daveinop)
D
daveinop
1y
if the money is the same and playing time is not, the player will take the playing time, so obviously having more money in the hands of teams (via House) with PT available makes them a viable option. We've already seen this repeatedly and it will only increase.
Also remember, all NIL deals must be reviewed and approved by a third party and must be made public. That may actually increase the cash available to more players, but it won't change the playing time component; particularly when players can portal-around at will.
** Edited by daveinop at 2/21/2025, 1:23:28 PM
** Edited by daveinop at 2/21/2025, 7:20:13 PM
** Edited by daveinop at 2/21/2025, 7:28:02 PM
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
the league ceased 4 years later.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
1y
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
off in the long run to recombine with DI-FCS so they can at least compete for the NCAA DI Football National Championship. Plus, I am not sure there is enough interest and sponsorship money for them to create their own private DI-FBS tournament.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
sure ain't it. Every single week, something else comes out that anyone with half a brain cell could intuit is bad for the sport, and it's all so one more SEC football program can get a guaranteed spot in the CFP. It's beyond stupid. Just look, in the past five years, at what we're now staring down the barrel at:
- The PAC-12 was destroyed so USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington can play conference games at Rutgers and Maryland.
- The SEC added Texas and Oklahoma, then every SEC program and Greg Sankey started whining and crying because they're racking up more losses and can't sleepwalk into the playoff.
- Unfettered, completely unregulated pay for play with zero transparency, and half the time no actual written contracts.
- Completely unrestricted free agency, not even the transfer portal window actually applies anymore.
- If you're not in the SEC or Big 10, Vanderbilt and Northwestern make double the media rights money you do.
- If you're not in the SEC or Big 10, or playing one of those teams, your team isn't getting on OTA broadcast at all, and there's a good chance all your games are going to be on ESPNU, your niche conference network, or streaming only.
- Now we're looking at the SEC and Big 10 getting double automatic playoff spots, guaranteed, every year, because, for some reason, everyone else capitulated and gave them the power to dictate the postseason championship format.
I'm 99% checked out at this point. It's stupid. This sport is absolutely stupid.
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
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VTCALS72
1y
Now it is more WWE. It isn't about the competition and the best win, it is about the promotion, entertainment and the show.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
in a couple of posts on this site that VT and the rest of the schools that aren't in the P2 need to just come together to form another division like the old Div 1AA. You can still play for conference titles and have a playoff for a championship amongst yourselves in multiple sports. Not sure how they'd work out the TV part of it.
Personally, I feel VT football is a .500 program that's headed no where while being stuck in a conference that's unable to meet the needs of its member institutions. I don't see any options for VT and it doesn't look like they have anything to play for at this point.
Stop wasting time and money trying to chase the P2. They're too far ahead and they don't want any of you. Leave the P2 on an island so they only play each other and make decisions that only affect each other. That's what they want anyway.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
(In response to this post by greygoose)
1y
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
you may get back back some level of control in the long run, but you never really get rid of it.
I'm also not sure everyone wants to see the Hokies playing with corporate logos emblazoned all over the helmets, uniforms, and every inch of the field and stadium.
(In response to this post by Stech)
1y
uniforms brought the B12 closer to revenue to the P2? It would be a no brainer. You already have adds in the stadium, on the fields, and on the courts. If it helped my school compete for a national championship? Put the Nike swoosh on the helmet instead of the mythical Jayhawk, and I'd be good with it.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
sales go up because of it or profit goes up because you can charge a higher price. I have been involved in that.
(In response to this post by Big12 guy)
1y
thanking the sponsors and only 5 minutes answering the questions?
(In response to this post by Stech)
1y
XYZ Private Equity, and the good lord above, but yes the Dr Pepper kid has it right, “our Defense Stinks. Don’t worry though, we will get that turned around at halftime.” 🤣🤣🤣
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
1y
That’s especially if you need it to compete in a competitive world.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
We tend to think of the SEC as this single big bad entity. But even within the SEC there is clear favoritism. Bama, Georgia, Texas, LSU is who I would put at the top tier that gets lots of media love and attention.
Then everyone else is fighting to get a chance (somewhat similar to the ACC and B12 trying to fight for spots). Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee are facing some of the same hurdles as us, only they get a lot more money to try and be included.
It would not shock me if the SEC was internally a bit more fractured than what we see in public. And that could be part of what drives them to push so hard for more control of the playoffs. But this is all pure speculation from me.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)
1y
hard for it IMHO. I am sure Lil Beams is too.
(In response to this post by HokieAl)
1y
appear to be a third option at the moment.
1. Continue with the status quo; or
2. Combine with DI-FCS.
(In response to this post by Baltimore_Hokie)