MIRAMAR BEACH − Much of the debate at SEC spring meetings this week center on the College Football Playoff format, and whether a 16- or 24-team model should be adopted in the future.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is opposed to expanding to 24 teams, saying that college football “isn’t a tournament sport.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart was non-committal when asked whether 16 of 24 is the right number for a future CFP model. But if the CFP stays at its current 12-game model in 2026-27, it will create another issue that has victimized Smart and other coaches who have earned byes in the format in either of the first two years.
Bye teams are 1-7 since the CFP expanded to 12 teams in 2024-25. Under Smart, Georgia has suffered two of those losses to Notre Dame and Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl in 2025 and 2026.
“I am a big fan of continuing the season in continual motion, and taking out the long break,” Smart said. “You can say for obvious reasons, but I just don’t think football is played that way. I don’t think football is played to have a 24-, 27-day break. We had that too in the past. I’ve been a part of the long breaks for years when I was at Georgia and Alabama and we usually were successful with that.
“It’s not a matter of my independent want or need for success, it’s about what’s best for success and football is not meant to be played with a month gap.”
Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Georgia football coach Kirby Smart identifies flaw in current 12-team CFP format
Reporting by Kevin Brockway, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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