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

Disagreements between Greg Sankey, SEC Commissioner, and Tony Petitti, Big Ten Commissioner, are likely to prevent changes to the current College Football Playoff (CFP) format, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich. The CFP is set to expand to 12 teams, but discussions have considered further expansion to 16 or even 24 teams. Petitti and the Big Ten are advocating for a 24-team playoff, which would include automatic qualifiers.

Dinich emphasized that the negotiations are a matter of leverage, with the Big Ten possessing significant influence. Despite discussions among Power Four and Group of Five conferences, the consensus is that the CFP will remain at 12 teams unless Sankey and Petitti reach an agreement by the January 23 deadline.

The Big Ten and SEC hold considerable sway over the CFP's future due to a memorandum of understanding, giving them substantial control over the playoff format. This agreement ensures participation from the Power Four conference champions, a Group of Five team, and potentially