College Football

New College Football Playoff 5+11 Format Favored By Most SEC Coaches

AJ Nunez

Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart said most SEC coaches support the 16-team playoff format that would include the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams. This format has the most support for 2026 because it wouldn’t limit participants. Smart also expressed that the SEC and Big Ten are stronger than the other college football conferences. He said, “Two conferences are stronger than others, and if you don’t agree with that, then you probably just don’t know college football,” according to David Hale of ESPN. 

Possible Changes To The College Football Playoff

Along with the proposed 5+11 playoff model, there is the idea of adding a ninth conference game for SEC teams. Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin said there shouldn’t be a guarantee for conference champions or teams in based on the number of losses. Kiffin also shared the selection committee should be made up of “educated media people” who watch a lot of football instead of people with affiliations to schools. 

Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian said he hopes the huge non-conference games stick around, such as the Longhorns versus Ohio State season opener. Multiple sources have revealed that the Big Ten won’t consider a 5+11 model unless the SEC and ACC move to a nine-game league schedule. More conference games may mean more potential losses, which can negatively affect the chances of SEC and Big Ten teams making it into the CFP.

The Big Ten favors a system in which the SEC and Big Ten receive four auto bids each, while the Big 12 and ACC each receive two auto bids. That was reported by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg. 

Final Thoughts

The last six national champions have been either SEC or Big Ten teams, including the reigning champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Five of the top six teams in the final AP Top 25 poll were from both conferences. The rankings can always move around in college football on a week-to-week basis, but it is easy to see that the SEC and Big Ten are at the top of the mountain for now.

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