SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has criticised discussions with the College Football Playoff (CFP) as "unsatisfactory," as the conference pushes for changes that would favour its teams in future playoff formats. The dispute comes after a season in which the shifting landscape of college football undercut the SEC's traditional claims of dominance, with the conference failing to reach the National Championship game.

For the third consecutive season, no SEC team competed in the national title game, weakening the conference's usual arguments for preferential treatment in playoff seeding and access. Sankey's comments reflect ongoing tension between the SEC and CFP organisers over how future playoff formats should be structured, with the conference seeking greater representation or favourable terms despite its recent on-field results not supporting such a case.