Sankey's lost his grip

[Choctaw Dawg]

Going to a 9 conference game schedule at the behest of ESPN and the B1G under the guise that the playoff would expand to 16 teams. Now we are stuck at a 12 team playoff with the other power conferences and FOX holding the SEC and ESPN by the balls to push the playoff to 24 teams so playoff contracts can get redone and Fox can host some playoff games. Sankey told the coaches that the playoff would expand to 16 if they pushed for 9 conference games and now coaches such as Sumrall are saying "they felt misled."

Now we are playing 10 P4 games a season while the B1G is laughing their asses off holding the league hostage because of Sankey. How much longer does he have at the top of the SEC?

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Guy's a bad commissioner. Been saying it for years. Very reactive rather than proactive. And when he is proactive, it's about dumb stuff, like moving the SEC baseball tournament away from Hoover.

 

[ETK99]

Going to a 9 conference game schedule at the behest of ESPN and the B1G under the guise that the playoff would expand to 16 teams. Now we are stuck at a 12 team playoff with the other power conferences and FOX holding the SEC and ESPN by the balls to push the playoff to 24 teams so playoff contracts can get redone and Fox can host some playoff games. Sankey told the coaches that the playoff would expand to 16 if they pushed for 9 conference games and now coaches such as Sumrall are saying "they felt misled."

Now we are playing 10 P4 games a season while the B1G is laughing their asses off holding the league hostage because of Sankey. How much longer does he have at the top of the SEC?

The coaches want the 24 team playoff

 

[Bulldog45]

I’m not a fan of Sankey or ESPN so I’m good with it.

 

[patdog]

I think Sanky will be OK. He hasn't lost his grip. He expanded to 9 games when the playoffs expanded. And they will expand to 16 (or 24) very soon, probably next year.

 

[Choctaw Dawg]

The coaches want the 24 team playoff

For obvious reasons, they think its job security if they make the playoffs. Coaches like Kiffin and Deboer think they are safe if they squeak in the playoffs as the 19 or 20 seed when that will still not be the case.

 

[POTUS]

Coaches want bigger playoff so they can point to it when they have a bad season and say, look how many times we've made it.

They don't care about the game nearly as much as they care about those checks. Which is exactly how I'd feel, so no judgment.

 

[Choctaw Dawg]

Guy's a bad commissioner. Been saying it for years. Very reactive rather than proactive. And when he is proactive, it's about dumb stuff, like moving the SEC baseball tournament away from Hoover.

There should never be a situation where it moves from Hoover, I don't care how much Texas and Oklahoma ***** about it being too far. Its about as dead center as the conference gets geographically.

 

[Choctaw Dawg]

I think Sanky will be OK. He hasn't lost his grip. He expanded to 9 games when the playoffs expanded. And they will expand to 16 (or 24) very soon, probably next year.

B1G, ACC, and B12 have put their foot down that its 24 or bust. There is no option where it goes to 16

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

Eventually it will be a 32-40 Team league. Everyone not included in that league will be Southern Mississippi.

 

[patdog]

B1G, ACC, and B12 have put their foot down that its 24 or bust. There is no option where it goes to 16

I think that's most likely, but we'll see. Don't think the SEC doesn't wield a big stick here. And ACC/Big12 are almost irrelevant. Ultimately they'll do what the SEC & Big 12 agree on if they want a place at the table.

 

[ETK99]

B1G, ACC, and B12 have put their foot down that its 24 or bust. There is no option where it goes to 16

When the SEC coaches want too, it should be 24. Your point doesn't make sense when in essence, the SEC wants 24. Now, if you want to say Sanky doesn't want 24, then ok. But he's going to do what the SEC schools want to do. If he's smart, he goes and expands the league with that.

 

[patdog]

When the SEC coaches want too, it should be 24. Your point doesn't make sense when in essence, the SEC wants 24. Now, if you want to say Sanky doesn't want 24, then ok. But he's going to do what the SEC schools want to do. If he's smart, he goes and expands the league with that.

SEC wants 16.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

SEC wants 16.

Coaches (and likely players) want 24, Administrators want 16. 24 will likely win out soon. Conference Championship games will need to he reevaluated.

 

[ronpolk]

The coaches want the 24 team playoff

I don’t know why everyone wouldn’t want a 24 team playoff. This bs about “the regular season won’t matter” is just nonsense. The NFL regular season is great but the playoffs are better. Thankfully it’s not limited to just the handful of teams with the best record. Same with MLB and NBA. Parity is going to continue in college football and expanding the playoffs will allow that to happen quicker.

 

[TXdwgs]

SEC wants 16.

Let’s clarify one thing. The SEC doesn’t really want 16, and the Big 10 doesn’t really want 24.

ESPN wants 16, because the current contract is written so that it gives them exclusive rights if it is 15 games or less. If it goes to more than 15 games, aka more than 16 teams, bidding opens back up. So ESPN wants 16, and Fox and all the other networks want 24. It’s that simple

 

[SoJxnVol]

Sankey is an oblivious rich guy with zero street sense and too smart for his own good.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Coaches (and likely players) want 24, Administrators want 16. 24 will likely win out soon. Conference Championship games will need to he reevaluated.

We can't get out of the SEC 'ship contract until 2033 or 2034. Sankey should have thought about that before going to the 9-game schedule, because the only reason we were going to 9-games (besides money), is because the playoff was expanding. He wants it at 16 because that preserves conference title games and the money that comes with that.

Now, we look stupid because the playoff has not expanded, and we have the 9-game schedule. He's further put in the vice grip because the only possible playoff expansion now is 24, which kills the conference title games.
So, it's either suffer through the 9-game schedule and keep the title game, or get rid of it and get a bigger playoff, with probably less money.

In other words, he bltched out by going to 9-games.

 

[POTUS]

I don’t know why everyone wouldn’t want a 24 team playoff. This bs about “the regular season won’t matter” is just nonsense. The NFL regular season is great but the playoffs are better. Thankfully it’s not limited to just the handful of teams with the best record. Same with MLB and NBA. Parity is going to continue in college football and expanding the playoffs will allow that to happen quicker.

Sorry bud but this is a brain dead take as it gets. The playoff at 4 was diminishing regular season. At 12 it’s outright making games irrelevant. At 24 it’s just stupid. CFB had the best regular season in American sports. UCLA, despite a mediocre season, could derail USC’s title hopes, as they did in the early 2000’s. They have given that up for playoff money. It’s absolutely diminished the importance of hundreds of games. Anyone saying otherwise is historically ignorant.

 

[patdog]

We can't get out of the SEC 'ship contract until 2033 or 2034. Sankey should have thought about that before going to the 9-game schedule, because the only reason we were going to 9-games (besides money), is because the playoff was expanding. He wants it at 16 because that preserves conference title games and the money that comes with that.

Now, we look stupid because the playoff has not expanded, and we have the 9-game schedule. He's further put in the vice grip because the only possible playoff expansion now is 24, which kills the conference title games.
So, it's either suffer through the 9-game schedule and keep the title game, or get rid of it and get a bigger playoff, with probably less money.

In other words, he bltched out by going to 9-games.

Good lord. SEC doesn't want to get out of that contract. It want to renew it. It's a HUGE payday. Like $50,000,000. You think they want to give that up. Or ever will?

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Sorry bud but this is a brain dead take as it gets. The playoff at 4 was diminishing regular season. At 12 it’s outright making games irrelevant. At 24 it’s just stupid. CFB had the best regular season in American sports. UCLA, despite a mediocre season, could derail USC’s title hopes, as they did in the early 2000’s. They have given that up for playoff money. It’s absolutely diminished the importance of hundreds of games. Anyone saying otherwise is historically ignorant.

What you are missing, is that the bowls no longer have meaning. So, if you got your way, as teams got put out of contention for the title game or whatever, they would likely quit. Rendering a huge portion of the season pointless. They might get up for a rivalry game or to ruin someone's season but that's about it. Nobody is playing for next year anymore, because there is no longer any building. And if they are, it's basically just firing their coach midseason and trying to get a leg up on the portal.

The only answer to this is a playoff. It keeps everyone engaged in a day where rivalries have been diminished and a 7-5 or 8-4 season is no longer rewarded (i.e. the bowl and building for the next season).

And, as I've continually said, 24 is just barely getting into the range that literally every other division of college football, and every other college sport, uses for % of playoff participation. Especially when conferences are so lopsided.

Your take is just an old man yelling at the cloud. There's a lot of bad changes in college sports right now but an expanded football playoff is one of the good things.....a solution.

 

[Dawgbite]

There should never be a situation where it moves from Hoover, I don't care how much Texas and Oklahoma ***** about it being too far. Its about as dead center as the conference gets geographically.

Hoover just does baseball right. It’s a great event for fans. Hope it never moves.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Going to a 9 conference game schedule at the behest of ESPN and the B1G under the guise that the playoff would expand to 16 teams. Now we are stuck at a 12 team playoff with the other power conferences and FOX holding the SEC and ESPN by the balls to push the playoff to 24 teams so playoff contracts can get redone and Fox can host some playoff games. Sankey told the coaches that the playoff would expand to 16 if they pushed for 9 conference games and now coaches such as Sumrall are saying "they felt misled."

Now we are playing 10 P4 games a season while the B1G is laughing their asses off holding the league hostage because of Sankey. How much longer does he have at the top of the SEC?

SEC is playing the same number of conference games and P4 games as the B1G and everyone else. It’s long overdue. I don’t feel sorry for any SEC coaches, Sankey, or anyone else. There’s no disadvantage at all.

The SEC is no longer the strongest league anymore in the NIL climate, so they can’t even argue that SOS deal anymore, either.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Let’s clarify one thing. The SEC doesn’t really want 16, and the Big 10 doesn’t really want 24.

ESPN wants 16, because the current contract is written so that it gives them exclusive rights if it is 15 games or less. If it goes to more than 15 games, aka more than 16 teams, bidding opens back up. So ESPN wants 16, and Fox and all the other networks want 24. It’s that simple

So why does the SEC care if bidding opens back up? Doesn’t that mean even more money for everybody?

I understand that ESPN has influence, but ultimately there’s nothing they can really do if SEC decides they want 24, too. They still have fulfill all their current financial obligations to the SEC.

 

[POTUS]

Your take is just an old man yelling at the cloud. There's a lot of bad changes in college sports right now but an expanded football playoff is one of the good things.....a solution.

I'm not at all surprised you don't get it. But let me write it crayon for you. The two things, and only two things, that made CFB unique were the regional flavor and the regular season importance. The playoff, combined with realignment, NIL, & portal, have robbed the sport of what made it unique. It's just minor league football now. It's barely distinguishable from the UFL. The connection to the schools and regions is tenuous at best and actually almost non-existent. The desire to be like the NFL (having a playoff being a prime example) has robbed the sport of everything that made it special. I'm not yelling at the cloud. I'm simply observing what in fact happened.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Hoover just does baseball right. It’s a great event for fans. Hope it never moves.

Yep, has adequate parking, plenty of RV space, safe area, close to hotels, retail and restaurants.

Sankey wants to move it around for the money.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The SEC is no longer the strongest league anymore in the NIL climate, so they can’t even argue that SOS deal anymore, either.

Yeah that's bullshlt

 

[ronpolk]

I'm not at all surprised you don't get it. But let me write it crayon for you. The two things, and only two things, that made CFB unique were the regional flavor and the regular season importance. The playoff, combined with realignment, NIL, & portal, have robbed the sport of what made it unique. It's just minor league football now. It's barely distinguishable from the UFL. The connection to the schools and regions is tenuous at best and actually almost non-existent. The desire to be like the NFL (having a playoff being a prime example) has robbed the sport of everything that made it special. I'm not yelling at the cloud. I'm simply observing what in fact happened.

It’s not a desire to be like the NFL, it’s a desire to recognize the landscape has changed and the talent is way more spread out. It used to be that legitimately only 4 teams could probably win a title. It’s not like that anymore. And I’m not sitting here saying team 24 really could win a title but I like to see that play out on the field.

I’ll never understand why some are opposed to more football against top 24 teams.

 

[patdog]

Yeah that's bullshlt

At best SEC is now co-top league with the Big 10. In many ways it really looks like Big 10 has passed SEC.

 

[Called3rdstrikedawg]

It will still be set up to favor the top 4 or top 8 teams. Wouldn’t be surprised if they figured a way to create a double bye.

It’s not a desire to be like the NFL, it’s a desire to recognize the landscape has changed and the talent is way more spread out. It used to be that legitimately only 4 teams could probably win a title. It’s not like that anymore. And I’m not sitting here saying team 24 really could win a title but I like to see that play out on the field.

I’ll never understand why some are opposed to more football against top 24 team playoff.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Yeah that's bullshlt

SEC has had just 2 of 8 teams in the semi-finals since the format switched to 12 teams in the past 2 years. B1G has had 4. No SEC teams even in the championship game since 2022.

2022-2026 (since NIL took hold):

8 B1G teams in semifinals (50%)
5 SEC teams in semifinals (31%)

4 B1G teams in the NCG (50%)
1 SEC team* in the NCG (12.5%)

*Same number as the ACC, Big 12, and Notre Dame

3 B1G national champions in a row and counting.

1 SEC national champion (in 2022)

Face it, the reign is over. Portal / NIL was the king slayer for the SEC’s dominance. SEC money cannot compete with B1G money.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

At best SEC is now co-top league with the Big 10. In many ways it really looks like Big 10 has passed SEC.

Top to bottom, SEC is better. Which is why the 9-game schedule hurts.

I'm not arguing that the top 1-2 teams in the B1G aren't better at the moment. The national championship trophies prove that.

 

[Called3rdstrikedawg]

We have a chance to stand up for the SEC this fall. State is or at least has been one of the bottom 4 SEC football teams. Minnesota has been middle of the B1G. State victory will help assert SEC as the better conference Top To Bottom.

 

[patdog]

Top to bottom, SEC is better. Which is why the 9-game schedule hurts.

I'm not arguing that the top 1-2 teams in the B1G aren't better at the moment. The national championship trophies prove that.

Results of last season were pretty damning for the SEC.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Top to bottom, SEC is better. Which is why the 9-game schedule hurts.

I'm not arguing that the top 1-2 teams in the B1G aren't better at the moment. The national championship trophies prove that.

If the Top 1, 2, or 3 teams of the B1G are better than the SEC, then by very definition of the term “top to bottom”, the SEC is not better. They might be better “middle to bottom”, or maybe not. Either way, it’s not the same thing. I also don’t think MSU or Arkansas would have beaten any B1G team last year except Purdue last season.

Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, and others would have all handled Ole Miss or Georgia last year. We got to see what Indiana did against Bama.

 

[Called3rdstrikedawg]

Okay. The B1G is the premier college football conference in the land.
Now can we move on and talk about Women’s Cross-Country?

I have absolutely never cared if the SEC is the best conference. The SEC has screwed Mississippi State every chance they get since 1941. I hope everyone in the conference finds a way to lose while State goes 15-0 into perpetuity!

 

[TheBannerM]

SEC is playing the same number of conference games and P4 games as the B1G and everyone else. It’s long overdue. I don’t feel sorry for any SEC coaches, Sankey, or anyone else. There’s no disadvantage at all.

The last three national champions (from the Big 10, of course) played only 9 regular season P4 games.

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

Television networks such as ESPN, CBS, Fox pay the bills and therefore make the rules. Im sure there is some give and take but the commissioners do as they are told

 

[TXdwgs]

If the Top 1, 2, or 3 teams of the B1G are better than the SEC, then by very definition of the term “top to bottom”, the SEC is not better. They might be better “middle to bottom”, or maybe not. Either way, it’s not the same thing. I also don’t think MSU or Arkansas would have beaten any B1G team last year except Purdue last season.

Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon, and others would have all handled Ole Miss or Georgia last year. We got to see what Indiana did against Bama.

The SEC’s bottom is better than the Big 10’s bottom, but that’s about it. Arkansas, us are probably better than Purdue Maryland etc. Minnesota, Washington etc their middle is every bit as good as Tennessee, Missouri. And their top is better than our top—Georgia, Ole Miss, Alabama are not as good as Indiana and Ohio State, Oregon.

 

[ronpolk]

It will still be set up to favor the top 4 or top 8 teams. Wouldn’t be surprised if they figured a way to create a double bye.

I agree. And I think it should be set up to favor the top teams