MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. – SEC commissioner Greg Sankey bristles at the idea that he's a college sports villain.

So, don’t be the villain then. Be the hero the College Football Playoff needs.

A man who's hailed as college sports' most powerful figure ought to flex his muscle to land a playoff format that both suits the SEC’s needs, while remaining an open-access tournament, rather than stand by and let the playoff morph into a rigged SEC/Big Ten invitational.

The playoff's undecided format for 2026 and beyond is the subject of much debate here this week at the SEC's spring meetings.

The conversation centers on two models featuring 16 teams. One model comes off as a sham. The other seems like a fairer format good for any top team, regardless of conference affiliation.

In the sham corner

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