Greg Sankey makes it clear that SEC didn’t start the 16-team CFP format discussion, that’s on the Big Ten

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – As SEC meetings continue at the Hilton SanDestin resort on the Florida coast, the question remains how divided the conference is on moving toward future expansion.

Frankly, this is one of the biggest questions regarding the overall future of college athletics; The NCAA Tournament has recently moved to expand its field.

Judging by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey’s comments, it’s clear they won’t rush to make a decision even as outside pressure from opposing conferences mounts.

But the most intriguing part of the current situation presiding over the SEC is how many schools actually agree on the economic structure that athletic directors and presidents are currently discussing.

In reality, the SEC needs to regulate itself. If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that even if everything looks good on the outside, the house can be in turmoil without the headlines to create.

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While the Big Ten currently holds the perceived power, it’s as if the SEC is playing second fiddle in the two-piece bracket. There are some cleaning issues that need to be met again for this.

Now, let’s not pretend Greg Sankey cares that Lane Kiffin has been creating a firestorm in Baton Rouge since accepting the LSU job before Ole Miss got a shot at the College Football Playoff.

Now the conference, with the encouragement of Ole Miss officials, is debating whether to issue a public reprimand against Kiffin for comments he made in the Vanity Fair piece, which were not well received in Oxford. The Tigers’ head coach said there are parents who are concerned about sending their children to Ole Miss because of past racial issues.

No, I don’t think the SEC will do anything, at least not publicly. However,

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks during a press conference at the LSU Football Practice Facility in Baton Rouge, La., on Feb. 4, 2026. (Gus Stark/LSU/University Images)

What about the Texas head coach? Steve Sarkisian has become one of the conference’s hottest quote machines in recent weeks, taking aim at Ole Miss. You know, because it’s thought to be easy to take shots at the Rebels so soon after Kiffin’s departure, coupled with allegations of tampering that the NCAA is currently investigating.

When you factor in the College Athletic Commission investigating alleged NIL dealings at Oxford, it’s no wonder why head coach Pete Golding is up against multiple outside forces.

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But when you get down to the nitty-gritty of the inner workings within the SEC, a lot of it comes down to what the perceived best path forward is for a conference that holds the majority of power along with its Big Ten counterparts.

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We can argue about expansion until we’re blue in the face. Heck, we already do this on a daily basis thanks to social media and the never-ending negotiations that will continue to be hot topics for fans.

But when it comes to bringing 16-team discussions to the table, the idea that it was the SEC that started that conversation did not escape Greg Sankey, who was asked about Tony Petitti saying the 16-team format would not be discussed at Big Ten meetings.

“I was surprised because last year they brought 16 teams to the table. All these 16-team ideas weren’t ours,” Greg Sankey said Monday night.

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Views of athletic directors and presidents OutKick has spoken to in recent weeks are divided but not hostile. Some see this as a smart move to generate revenue in a conference that generates nearly twice as much revenue as its ACC counterparts make through year-end payouts.

“I understand why the coaches want to expand. I never said we were against 24 teams, I told my colleagues that too.”

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks at a press conference before celebrating the University of Oklahoma joining the Southeastern Conference on July 1, 2024 in Norman, Oklahoma. (Greg Sankey/IMAGN Syndication: The Oklahoman)

Sankey didn’t mince words when asked if leaders within the SEC would agree that 12 teams is a viable route to move forward if they can’t reach an agreement on expansion.

“It depends, I don’t think we can vote unanimously on the number.”

But given the current race to make the playoffs, it would be short-sighted to pretend the financial burden isn’t being felt within the SEC.

Overall, in the grand scheme of expansion to include the potential elimination of a conference title game, the commissioner knows this is financially significant.

“We have contracts, so we’re pretty committed… We have contracts.”