SEC Coaches Say 9-Game Vote Misled Them as Playoff Stays at 12 Teams

7 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 28

SEC coaches said they backed a nine-game conference schedule believing it would help trigger a 16-team College Football Playoff, but the format remains at 12 teams.
Jon Sumrall said coaches felt "misled," while Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz said they were told last year the Big Ten would support 16 teams if the SEC moved from eight games to nine.
The shift ends the SEC's long-held scheduling edge, which let teams pad records with a fourth non-conference game and often a late-November FCS opponent before rivalry week.
Nine conference games should create more meaningful November matchups, but it could also push SEC schools to avoid marquee non-conference games as tougher league schedules raise playoff risk.

Will the SEC's tougher schedule actually hurt its playoff chances by producing more two-loss teams?

With the SEC and Big Ten deadlocked on playoff expansion, who will ultimately control college football's future?

As TV partners push different playoff formats, is the college football regular season losing its meaning?