ATLANTA -- SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on Wednesday reiterated his belief that the league should adopt a nine-game conference schedule -- a long-discussed change that could lead to a decision about the future format of the College Football Playoff.
Sankey said the conference has been discussing a nine-game league schedule since the Clinton administration, but a decision could finally come in the ensuing weeks or months.
"I think we should be working towards that," Sankey said in a wide-ranging interview with ESPN at SEC media days. "My life doesn't end if we don't. There's this absolutist notion that he's going to dictate what's going to happen. I think we should have an adult conversation. We should be able to make a decision. I think nine games would promote great interest through the year, but it would be hard to coach. I've had candid conversations with coaches. I've told them that."
The SEC's future schedule is tied to the playoff discussions as CFP leaders continue to debate the best format for 2026 and beyond. The SEC has indicated a preference for a 16-team model that would include the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams -- a format that has gained traction but still lacks support from the Big Ten, which is pushing for automatic qualifiers and play-in games. Multiple sources in that conference have said they won't consider the 5+11 format unless the SEC and ACC move to a nine-game league schedule. The Big Ten and SEC have the bulk of control over the future format, according to a memorandum of understanding signed by the FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua.
Sankey said that while his "membership is interested in moving to 16," he hasn't picked a format and hasn't abandoned the possibility of a 14-team playoff.
"It's an option," he said. "It was put into the consideration in January of '24 when we were going through the effort to sign the agreement. It's still there."
While it seems impossible to untangle the league's scheduling decision with the playoff debate, Sankey boiled the deadline for any decisions down to the only one that's on paper -- the next TV agreement with ESPN.
"It says you have to determine the '26 format by Nov. 30," Sankey said. "There's actually a '26 format. It's 12 teams and five conference champions. We can change it if we change it by that date, but that's the only date that I know exists, and everything else in between seems up to the parties making the decision."