- Sep 13, 2002
- 95,649
- 195,422
- 113
I won't post the entire Athletic article, as it is subscription based. But it appears there is more than a little distrust between the architects of the expanded playoffs now, thanks to the SEC acting in secrecy on its expansion plans:
By Nicole Auerbach and Stewart Mandel 3h ago
69
One month ago, college football fans across the country were buzzing about the proposed 12-team College Football Playoff, which could begin as soon as 2023.
At the time, it seemed like it solved all the major problems facing college football. It would provide more access. It would keep more teams and fan bases engaged throughout the regular season. It could help spread talent out among the top teams and maybe even incentivize bolder scheduling, too.
But Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC has overshadowed proposed CFP expansion, and the way it went down has raised more than a few eyebrows across the country.
It has become clear, both to other college sports leaders and to anyone following the timeline of events closely, that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was preparing to poach the Big 12’s crown jewel programs even as he worked alongside Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby in the four-person CFP working group that studied expansion options. It is also clear, now, that Bowlsby was unaware of what was in motion behind his back; he praised Sankey for supporting a 12-team model that would be “what’s best” for college football at large.
“It creates some concern about the way the 12-team proposal was constructed, with a limited number of folks in the room and imperfect information between the people who were in the room,” new Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff told The Athletic. “The proper process is: Everybody who has a say should have a say, and everybody should be operating with the same information.”
FULL ARTICLE:
theathletic.com
Why the SEC’s realignment maneuvers could lead others to pump the brakes on College Football Playoff expansion
By Nicole Auerbach and Stewart Mandel 3h ago
One month ago, college football fans across the country were buzzing about the proposed 12-team College Football Playoff, which could begin as soon as 2023.
At the time, it seemed like it solved all the major problems facing college football. It would provide more access. It would keep more teams and fan bases engaged throughout the regular season. It could help spread talent out among the top teams and maybe even incentivize bolder scheduling, too.
But Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC has overshadowed proposed CFP expansion, and the way it went down has raised more than a few eyebrows across the country.
It has become clear, both to other college sports leaders and to anyone following the timeline of events closely, that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was preparing to poach the Big 12’s crown jewel programs even as he worked alongside Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby in the four-person CFP working group that studied expansion options. It is also clear, now, that Bowlsby was unaware of what was in motion behind his back; he praised Sankey for supporting a 12-team model that would be “what’s best” for college football at large.
“It creates some concern about the way the 12-team proposal was constructed, with a limited number of folks in the room and imperfect information between the people who were in the room,” new Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff told The Athletic. “The proper process is: Everybody who has a say should have a say, and everybody should be operating with the same information.”
FULL ARTICLE:
Why the SEC’s realignment maneuvers could lead others to pump the brakes on College Football Playoff expansion
Now that Greg Sankey's SEC motives are in full view, other Power 5 leagues and leaders are in less of a rush to usher in a 12-team CFP.
theathletic.com
