SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey Talks CFP Expansion, Says Decision Will Come 'Sooner Rather Than Later'

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey revealed that a decision regarding the potential expansion of the College Football Playoff is on the horizon.

"We'll make some final decisions — probably sooner rather than later — is my expectation," Sankey said Wednesday, per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger previously reported that the SEC initially opposed the Big Ten's proposal to expand the CFP from 12 to 24 teams, but the SEC has become open to the updated format.

"Attitudes change over time and perspectives change, and so we'll see where that leads us from a final decision standpoint," Sankey said, per Dochterman. "I think in general, we have achieved some of the progress we've expected on scheduling commitments. We'll see if we can finalize those across the nation."

The ACC and Big 12 have expressed support for a 24-team playoff, while the expansion decision will ultimately be made by the SEC and Big Ten.

"More access is good for this conference," Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told Dochterman. "If we had the 24-team format last year, we would have gotten five schools in, and that would be great for this conference. Not good, but great."

If the 24-team format is adopted, Power 4 conference championship games would be eliminated in order to schedule the additional playoff contests. All of the Power 4 conference championship games have a media value of at least $200 million, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich.

Sankey acknowledged that there are still hurdles to clear in CFP discussions on Wednesday.

"We've worked through and continue to consider and work through those issues," Sankey said, per Dochterman. "I think there's an openness to Playoff expansion on our part."

The deadline for a possible change to the CFP format is Dec. 1, although officials can agree to an extension.