### College Conference Tensions Rise Over New Playoff Format

As spring meetings for college football conferences unfolded this week, the future format of the College Football Playoff became a contentious topic. League leaders engaged in an indirect exchange, reflecting the rising tensions. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey sparked controversy by stating he doesn't need "lectures from others about the good of the game," in what appeared to be a clear reference to criticisms from ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark.

Responding to Sankey's remarks, Yormark quipped, "I agreed with Greg's follow-up statement that I'd be entertained by it, and I was," during the closing of the Big 12 spring meetings in Orlando. He added, "We all have thick skin here. But the neat thing about our relationship amongst the commissioners is we're going to battle. That's part of life. We're going to agree to disagree. We're kind of in that mode right now, but I have a lot of respect for my peers, and I know they have a lot of respect for me and Jim, and we'll end up in the right place."

A key point of debate is the potential adoption of the 5+11 format, which gained traction this week with strong backing from SEC and Big Ten coaches. This format would grant automatic playoff spots to the champions of the four Power Four conferences plus the highest-ranked mid-major champion, with the remaining eleven spots filled by the College Football Playoff committee. An alternative 4+4+2+2+1 model, favoring more automatic qualifiers for the ACC, Big 12, and mid-majors, has also been discussed but seems to be losing support.

Yormark expressed his preference for the 5+11 model, citing its fairness and the importance of collaboration among conferences. "Certainly the public is voting yes for it, which I think is critically important, and it's a very good sign," Yormark said. "And yes, the Big Ten and the SEC are leading the discussions, but with leading those discussions, they have a great responsibility that goes with it - to do what's right for college football and not to do anything that just benefits two conferences. I have a lot of faith in the process, and I think we'll end in the right place."

Though it might seem counterintuitive for the Big 12 to support a model that only guarantees it one automatic bid, Yormark emphasized that it aligns with the principle of earning postseason access on the field. "The 5+11 might not be ideal for the conference, but it's good for college football and it's what's fair," Yormark noted. "And we don't want any gimmes. We want to earn it on the field, and that was the direction of the key stakeholder group—the ADs and the coaches—and I feel very comfortable with that. And I've been very outspoken about it."