Heather Dinich predicts Greg Sankey, Tony Petitti disagreement will prevent adoption of new College Football Playoff format

ESPN’s Heather Dinich predicted Greg Sankey and Tony Petitti’s disagreements will prevent the adoption of a new College Football Playoff format. With the CFP at 12 teams, there’s been plenty of discussion and speculation as to how many more teams will get in via expansion.

The next logical step is 16 teams, which is certainly possible for next season. However, Petitti and the Big Ten want a 24-team College Football Playoff, preferably with automatic qualifiers.

As Dinich put it, it’s a leverage battle at this time. But ultimately, the ESPN insider predicted the CFP will stay as is, for now, because Petitti and Sankey won’t be able to come to an agreement by the January 23rd deadline.

“The fans need to know that the Big Ten Conference has leverage right now, because if the SEC agrees to a 24-team playoff, two or three years later, the Big Ten will agree to a 16-team playoff,” Dinich said on Get Up. “Now that’s very important. It’s all about leverage, but if Tony Petitti and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey cannot agree on this by the January 23 deadline, it is going to stay at 12 teams next year. And I asked multiple sources, ‘hey, what’s your gut feeling about this? What’s going to happen?’ And everyone I’ve asked that question has said, ‘I think it’s going to stay at 12,’ because I don’t think these two gentlemen can agree.”

Dinich reported, even if it’s obvious with the way they operate, the Big Ten and SEC control the College Football Playoff right now. There is currently a MOU amongst the Power Four and Group Five as well.

“The Big Ten and the SEC have the bulk of control over their future format,” Dinich said. “Why is that? Well, everyone agreed to a memorandum of understanding, and the Power Four champions are going to be in the College Football Playoff, along with the one Group of Five and Notre Dame, as long as it finishes into the top 12, is going to be in. So you’ve got this give and take. You’ve got these protections for the Power Four conference champions, Notre Dame and the Group of Five in exchange for, ‘okay, Big Ten, SEC, you guys have the money, the power, the most teams in the College Football Playoff. Historically, you get the decision, but it’s a group effort.

“The Power Four commissioners have been talking multiple times leading up to this. Everyone knows where everyone stands, but the Big ten and SEC have to agree. And yes, the Big Ten wants 24 teams with automatic qualifiers, without automatic qualifiers, however, they can get to it. But Greg Sankey, at this point, is not ready to commit to that two or three years down the road. But I’m telling you, there are people in that room who would at least consider a 24-team playoff. People are thinking about that. That is a real conversation.”

The January 23rd deadline will tell all. But as Dinich reported, the College Football Playoff will stick to 12 teams in 2026-27 or tack on four more for a 16-team bracket.

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