Athletic directors from the Big Ten and SEC are scheduled to meet in Nashville, Tennessee, next week to deliberate over potential scheduling alliances and their stance on securing automatic bids for future College Football Playoff formats. This meeting signifies a continued collaboration between these influential conferences that began in February.

The partnership initially saw the Big Ten and SEC advocate for a 14-team playoff model to be implemented in 2026, emphasizing the necessity for four automatic bids per conference. Although their primary proposal remains unchanged, they also introduced an alternative "3-3-2-2-1" model. This plan would ensure three spots for each conference, including a first-round bye for each league's champion. Additionally, the Big 12 and ACC would secure two automatic bids each, and one spot would be reserved for the top-ranked Group of Five champion. This setup would leave room for three at-large bids for the highest-ranked teams that didn't earn an automatic bid.

However, discussions cooled in June when a consensus was reached among the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame to allow the 12-team model to proceed for the current season before making any further decisions regarding the future of the College Football Playoff.

Regarding a potential scheduling alliance, the Big Ten's preference hinges on whether the SEC adopts a nine-game conference schedule. As Big Ten schools already compete against nine conference opponents annually, some athletic directors might oppose a scheduling agreement if the SEC does not extend its schedule similarly.