Joel Klatt: Big Ten expects 'contentious' SEC meetings between coaches, Greg Sankey over 24-team CFP

The Big Ten wrapped up its annual Spring meetings this week in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., by reinforcing the league’s “deep commitment” to expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams. Of course, despite growing support from within the Power Four ranks, Playoff expansion remains a controversial topic among college football fans and most pundits.

In fact, after the ACC and Big 12 publicly threw their leagues’ collective support behind the Big Ten’s amended 24-team proposal, which would be a straight 23+1 format based entirely on the CFP rankings, only the SEC currently stands in direct opposition to the idea. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has remained steadfast in his league’s preference for a 16-team format it proposed last Summer when Playoff expansion talks first kicked into gear, and had the backing of much of the Power Four at the time.

But the pendulum has swung in the Big Ten’s favor in recent months, to the point even the White House has joined an overwhelming “coalescing” around a 24-team format. And while Sankey continues to hold his ground, FOX Sports‘ Joel Klatt believes his obstructionist stance could face its toughest test during the next week’s annual SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla., at least according to those in the Big Ten.

“I had multiple [Big Ten] coaches tell me that 90% of the coaches in the SEC, and 100% of the athletic directors in the SEC favor a 24-team model for Playoff expansion,” Klatt said during Friday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show podcast. “There is a sentiment, at least amongst the Big Ten coaches, that the meetings between Greg Sankey, the commissioner of the SEC, and his coaches, are going to be contentious.

“Because the coaches are going to be pushing for one thing, and Greg has publicly, obviously, stated something very different and in opposition of the 24-team model, and they might not have a consensus down there.”

"I had multiple coaches tell me that 90% of the coaches in the SEC and 100% of the athletic directors in the SEC favor a 24-team model for playoff expansion."

Don't miss @joelklatt's takeaways from Big Ten Spring Meetings and more in his upcoming episode, premiering Monday. pic.twitter.com/RNeK3HBrQL

— The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football on FOX Pod (@JoelKlattShow) May 22, 2026

Klatt even suggested the SEC presidents, at the behest of their ADs and head football coaches, could mount a mutiny of sorts and force Sankey to reverse his long-held stance against the 24-team field. Sankey has long pushed for a 16-team format that would add additional games and teams but not so significantly that it would impact college football’s current landscape.

“It should be noted, Greg works for the presidents of the SEC, just like Tony Petitti works for the presidents of the Big Ten. And if the athletic directors and coaches get their presidents on board, Greg Sankey’s not going to be able to fend off all of his bosses,” Klatt continued. “He’s got 16 bosses in the SEC, and if 12 of those guys come up and say: ‘No, no, no, no, this is what we want,’ then the SEC’s tune is going to change. And there was a sentiment among a lot of the people in the Big Ten that that could happen (next week).”

Of course, while the above scenario could certainly play out as Klatt — and the Big Ten — expect, it’s unlikely Sankey would have taken such a strong stance in opposition to the 24-team model without the explicit support of the SEC presidents. Nevertheless, as is the case most years, next week’s SEC Spring Meetings are sure to include interesting discussions that could have wide-ranging implications for the sport moving forward, regardless of whether the league reverses course on Playoff expansion.