I thought it could be another 'we want to play 9 conference games' head fake, but the SEC will go to 9 conference games in 2026.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sec-adopts-nine-game-conference-slate-commissioner-greg-sankey-explains-how-new-cfp-metrics-spurred-move/

The Football Playoff Committee agreeing to use an 'enhanced metric' to determine strength of schedule sealed the deal for Sankey and the It Just Means More Conference. Which means that Tony P and his B1G IT guys better take a close look at the new metric programming.

Assuming the new metric and its use thereof pass the B1G smell test, far more important than the eye test 😁, this will likely result in the 5 highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams beginning in 2026.

This should also allow, subject to schedule changes, an annual B1G/SEC football challenge.

The Devil is of course in the details but this could be a positive for the Power 2 and all of college football.

What? No head fake?

1 minute ago, woundedknees said:

What? No head fake?

And no bowl game for Mark Stoops?

As Sankey noted, 'not everyone,' a/k/a the coaches, is in favor of this move. But the money won out. Who knew? 🤑

For this to have happened, I think ESPN will be writing a larger check to the SEC.

On3's thoughts on whether the B1G will support the 5-11 model.

On3

SEC moving to 9-game schedule strengthens odds of Big Ten...

Now that the SEC has expanded to a nine-game conference schedule, will the Big Ten agree to a College Football Playoff model?

Winners, losers as SEC adopts 9-game schedule: Fans should rejoice, Big Ten loses leverage amid CFP talks

The SEC announced the long-awaited move on Thursday as talks over settling a future CFP format continue

Indeed, I think the SEC is actually the winner here. I personally don’t think this is going to be the victory we imagined the last 20 years, or as impactful as it would have been during the 4 team playoff era, when there was a P5 and zero guaranteed spots. I read this as a 9-3 (8-4?) SEC team will now get the nod over most 10-win teams in the current playoff structure. 10-2 Indiana over 9-3 Alabama? Nope.

I also think this is temporary. There will be some type of 60-ish team top division/super league and about 30-40% of those teams will play in a post season playoff, and much sooner than later.

Edited 15 hours ago15 hr by JabbaNoBargain

4 hours ago, JabbaNoBargain said:

10-2 Indiana over 9-3 Alabama? Nope.

Unless Alabama is now 8-4 because they have to replace Mercer or Western Kentucky with a Texas, Ole Miss, Florida, et al.

(Alabama did lose to Vanderbilt, a bad Oklahoma team and a mediocre Michigan team last season so there are very few gimmes, especially on the road, in conference play.)

Edited 10 hours ago10 hr by OregonDucks

4 hours ago, JabbaNoBargain said:

Indeed, I think the SEC is actually the winner here. I personally don’t think this is going to be the victory we imagined the last 20 years, or as impactful as it would have been during the 4 team playoff era, when there was a P5 and zero guaranteed spots. I read this as a 9-3 (8-4?) SEC team will now get the nod over most 10-win teams in the current playoff structure. 10-2 Indiana over 9-3 Alabama? Nope.

I also think this is temporary. There will be some type of 60-ish team top division/super league and about 30-40% of those teams will play in a post season playoff, and much sooner than later.

Friend Jabba, I have to demur.

The B1G has agreed to nothing regarding playoff expansion in 2026 and thereafter. Notwithstanding all of the populist slings and arrows fired at Tony P, the B1G stayed strong with the AQ format proposal and even leaked a larger PO field proposal, at least in part intended to have the SEC play 9 conference games.

'The SEC wins' is, IMO, more knee-jerk reaction from those who do not understand big-time business strategy.

If the new metric is not SEC-centric, FPI-driven, as the other Power 2 member, the B1G should benefit from the strength of its schedules. 13 B1G teams play 10 P4 opponents in 2025, compared to 3 SEC teams.

Yes, the SEC if the 9-game schedule and 1 P4 OOC opponent is adopted in 2026, will have all 16 teams playing 10 P4 games. However, like the B1G, not all OOC games will be against the CBB equivalent of Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponents.

The key is the neutrality of the metrics the CFB committee intends to use, but I believe Tony P will seek assurances in this regard. And come 2032, if your prediction is correct, the B1G, if there is not a Super Conference with a playoff of its own, can crater a potentially agreed-upon 5-11 model.

Who knows? With the enhanced metrics, it's possible that 9-3 Illinois, with a win over then-ranked No. 16 Kansas, could have been in the 2024-25 playoff field.

To date, with your possibly spot-on caveat in mind, I see the SEC going to nine conference games being no worse than a push for the B1G. The biggest loser is likely the B12, with many OOC games versus the SEC likely to be bought out, especially by the SEC schools with traditional in-state ACC opponents.

The B12 possibly becoming more irrelevant was one of Jon Wilner's takes on the SEC going to nine. Especially, if the money-making B1G/SEC OOC Challenge comes to fruition.

Let's Play Ball!

This posturing is all about the “Benjamin’s “, nothing more, and nothing less.

A conference commissioner, worth his salt, is trying to secure the financial well being of all conference members. A number of Colleges athletics departments are operating at a loss, the future of many sports depends on the revenue generated from football.

The CFP is a big slice of pie. However, to participate in the playoff, conferences should have basic guidelines to participate. 9 conference games is a solid start.

As an aside, Notre Dame should be required to join a conference to be a viable participant.

Light Up a Cig? After his dissing on the SEC schedules and the SEC going to 9 + a P4, Cig should shut up?

From a B1Gger viewpoint, Cig helped smoke the It Just Means More gang into going to 9 conference games.

Let's Spin again, and again, and again.

Hoosier State of Mind

Social Media Reacts to Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti b...

Starting in 2026, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) will expand its football league schedule to nine regular-season conference games, ending years of speculatio

Sigh. How about Tony P was playing chess when Greg S was playing checkers?

Is it a B1G win for the SEC to go to nine conference games? The B1G has lost leverage?

Have any CFB scribes out there advanced beyond Finance 101?

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/winners-losers-as-sec-adopts-9-game-schedule-fans-should-rejoice-big-ten-loses-leverage-amid-cfp-talks/

Lose leverage? We got more of...

I am so tired of all the pre-season wrangling, Let's tee the ball up and get between the lines. There will still be lots to wrangle about guys. I am even planning to take in a couple Week 0 games which I almost never do. It is time for football!!!

Lots of great takes friends.

Should we place bets on which conference gets more teams in the 2026-27 playoff?

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by JabbaNoBargain