Would the SEC mess with its championship game? Where the league stands on CFP play-ins

Roy Kramer created the SEC championship more than three decades ago, early in his tenure as league commissioner.

In December, he watched it yield the highest television ratings of any non-College Football Playoff game last season.

His brainchild has brought a windfall to the conference and drawn imitators from every other conference.

Advertisement Why are you getting rid of that? Kramer, now 95 years old, said this month.

Indeed, the SEC could at least re-imagine its championship weekend, to echo the word used by administrators as they toss around ideas about the years ahead: either adding two more play-in games to the CFP while keeping the conference championship game, or the more radical option of four CFP play-in games that would essentially eliminate the SEC championship as we know it.

Kramer, who was the SEC commissioner from 1990 to 2002, doesnt love the idea.

I think that would cheapen the regular season, he said, then laughed.

Money always talks.

Yeah it preserves a little bit of the concept, but I think you lose a little bit of it.

The SEC holds its spring meetings May 27-29 in Destin, Fla., and while the championships future almost certainly wont be decided then, it could be discussed, as it has been behind the scenes for the better part of a year.

Here is a primer on where things stand and how the SEC got to this point, based on discussions with administrators who spoke on background to candidly describe the thinking within the league.

The impetus for change The two main factors in play are the upcoming changes to the CFP format and the seeming devaluation of conference championship games.

All four power-conference champions went one-and-done in the inaugural 12-team Playoff, while the two CFP finalists (Ohio State and Notre Dame) didnt appear in conference championships.

Meanwhile, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has pushed for multiple automatic bids one model envisions four each for the Big Ten and SEC and two each for the ACC and Big 12 in the next CFP format, due to begin in 2026.

The SEC has been more wary of the concept, but many athletic directors are also wary of the selection committee operating on what they see as subjective, nebulous criteria .

That has made them more willing to embrace automatic bids.

Advertisement Out of that mindset came the idea for play-in games: Rather than leave things up to the committee, decide the bids on the field, not through the regular season standings but with an extra set of games.

The two formats The first publicly circulated idea for a reimagined championship Saturday kept the conference championship game but added two more play-in games: third place vs.

sixth place, fourth place vs.

fifth place.

The conference championship would still be first place vs.

second place, but both teams would be guaranteed a CFP spot.

Theyd just be playing for seeding, plus the league title.

A more radical idea emerged in February at the joint Big Ten-SEC meetings in New Orleans.

This one would see the leagues top eight teams enter play-in games with tournament-style seeding, but only for one win-and-in round: No.

1 vs.

No.

8, No.

2 vs.

No.

7, No.

3 vs.

No.

6, No.

4 vs.

No.

5.

On its face, putting the regular seasons best teams in jeopardy of being knocked out before the CFP even starts seems unwise.

But if the Playoff field expands to 14 or even 16, there could be room for a fifth (or even a sixth) team from the same conference to earn an at-large spot.

The other reason for at least considering the idea cited by administrators: The more teams that are in the mix for a Playoff spot, the deeper into the season teams are interested.

The chase for the eighth seed, for instance, would keep more than half the conferences teams engaged until late November.

The remaining questions Even more so than the SECs ongoing debate over going to a nine-game conference schedule , the play-in conversation depends on the future of the CFP format.

A CFP future without guaranteed bids for any conference would make the play-in weekend less likely.

But if automatic bids do become part of the next format the next meeting of CFP leaders is mid-June how quickly could the SEC act on the play-in idea? The introduction of automatic bids would not immediately trigger the introduction of play-ins.

There could be more discussion about it in Destin, but right now, sources cautioned that the whole idea was still conceptual.

The debate over the nine-game schedule is a more real and immediate concern for the league.

So theres no guarantee the SEC would move to a play-in format in 2026 even if automatic bids are part of the postseason by then.

The Big Ten and SEC have been working together on the next format and exchanging information on the championship weekends, but they dont necessarily have to do the same thing.

Advertisement The conversation also hasnt yet reached the point of making decisions on whether the play-in games would all be at campus sites, or whether at least one game would stay in Atlanta, or even whether other neutral sites might be involved.

The SEC does have a contract with Atlanta through 2031, so at least one game figures to remain there.

Then there is the television component: Its not clear whether ESPN has been approached about its interest in the play-in weekend.

But its hard to think the network wouldnt be interested, especially since it has indicated a willingness to pay more if the SEC goes to a nine-game schedule .

Also, unlike the debate over eight vs.

nine conference games, the play-in weekend doesnt have a set of yeas and nays.

League members have only spoken in generalities about doing it and havent held any straw polls.

No matter how much it gets discussed in Destin, any real movement will likely depend on the CFP format.

What changed, and what it all means The SEC has always been seen as the most likely to keep its first-of-its-kind conference championship game.

The event remains lucrative for the conference and ESPN.

But while the value of the game hasnt changed, the dynamics have, especially the conferences desire to get more teams in the Playoff.

And yes, the chase for more money is a factor, especially with revenue sharing about to become a reality.

The exposure and prestige of winning the championship game remain, but the play-in games are an attractive idea because of the opportunities they provide.

Still, the man who brought the game to life is skeptical.

Sooner or later, you cheapen the regular season, like you do in basketball, Kramer said.

The only thing in basketball is to get to the tournament, nobody cares about the regular season.

I dont know if you can withstand that in football.

Advertisement Kramer faced resistance when he created the SEC championship, but it was mainly from the conferences coaches, who worried a title game loss would knock the regular season champion out of the national championship picture.

Eventually they came around, and every other conference overcame initial opposition and followed suit.

Now that the CFP appears to be devaluing the importance of the conference championships, Kramer acknowledged its probably inevitable they go away, or at least that something changes.

I think it added, I think it still adds a tremendous amount of interest in the conference during the regular season, Kramer said.

I think it elevates the Southeastern Conference.

Its still a special game.

Id hate to see it go.

But times change.

(Photo: Butch Dill / Getty Images).

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