SEC, Big Ten Nearly Exited College Football Playoff Before Striking New Deal

Oregon Ducks new conference, the Big Ten, plus the SEC were close to departing the College Football Playoff before finalizing a deal that met their demands.

Jul 17, 2023; Nashville, TN, USA; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey talks with the media during SEC / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Before last month's expanded College Football Playoff agreement, the NCAA faced the potential exit of powerhouse conferences SEC and Big Ten from the postseason. The Oregon Ducks are set to officially join the Big Ten in August... A deal that may not have ever come to fruition, according to a new report.

In an interview with Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti highlighted that a January 2022 meeting could have been a breaking point. The lack of a decision led to a stern warning from the conferences.

"Absolutely," Sankey said when asked if the SEC would have left the CFP. "When we ended that set of meetings in January 2022 without a decision, I was clear: If you are going to walk away from this opportunity, we are going to reevaluate our position on format, revenue sharing, and governance."

Jul 17, 2023; Nashville, TN, USA; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey talks with the media during SEC / Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

The Notre Dame athletic director and the 10 FBS commissioners in charge of the College Football Playoff are set to convene in Dallas on Tuesday for their annual spring summit, spanning two days. This gathering will be their first since finalizing the new CFP television contract terms, revenue distribution model, and playoff format.

Under the new revenue model, the SEC and Big Ten will receive a combined 58 percent of all CFP revenue, Dellenger reported. This financial arrangement was key to retaining both conferences.

While Oregon joins the Big Ten in 2024, it will not receive full media rights shares immediately. The Ducks are set to receive $30-35 million annually, according to ESPN, while other Big Ten schools earn around $60 million. Oregon's share will increase by $1 million every year of the Big Ten’s seven-year television deal with Fox, CBS and NBC. Oregon will become a full-earning member when the league agrees to its next media contract.

Reflecting on the negotiations, Petitti underscored the readiness to seek alternatives if a satisfactory deal was unattainable.

"We were confident enough to explore other options if a satisfactory deal couldn't be reached," Petitti said. "Without seeing better alignment, we weren't going to sign. We were 100% confident and made it clear that we were only going to do a deal that worked for us."

Dellenger identified the January 2022 meeting as a critical moment that led to the current revenue-sharing arrangement between the SEC and Big Ten. The meeting ended with some participants leaving out of frustration over the stagnated discussion on the proposed expansion format.

The continual realignment of conferences has transformed the SEC and Big Ten into what many consider modern 'super leagues,' necessitating the fulfillment of their demands to ensure their continued participation in the CFP.

This new agreement marks a crucial step in ensuring the stability and future growth of the College Football Playoff amid evolving conference dynamics.