The Big Ten and SEC already have the upper hand in college football. At meetings this week, their leaders are setting the stage to exact even more control over the sport’s future.
Among the talking points when an advisory group made of members from the conferences meets in Nashville, Tennessee, are the future of the expanded college football playoff and a possible scheduling agreement between the two conferences that would indirectly make it harder for the rest of college football to compete for the 12 or possibly 14 spots available in the postseason.
No final decisions are expected this week, though the discussions are expected to be a jumping-off point for more definitive moves to come. Here’s a look at some of the topics:
Future of the College Football Playoff
The new 12-team playoff makes its debut this season. The top five conference winners, as ranked in the College Football Playoff committee’s selection poll on Dec. 8, will earn spots in the postseason, followed by the next seven highest-rated teams.