On Friday, Georgia football and the rest of college football found out that there will not be an expansion, at least through the current contract in 2025.
The decision not to expand is the perfect choice for Georgia and the SEC. Four teams have worked for Alabama and Georgia so far, so why would they want to change it?
At least for the SEC, the four-team playoff has been great. Some other conferences don’t like it because they feel excluded and like the same programs get in each year, but those are the same teams that continue to win and dominate college football.
Georgia football fans should be excited about the committee sticking with a four-team playoff.
Keeping it at four teams makes it feel like it is unique. While expanding it in the right way would be something beneficial for Georgia and the SEC — right now, it makes more sense to keep it at four because most of the time, it is the four best teams.
It isn’t about the money or anything like that. Instead, it’s about keeping what has worked since the playoffs started in 2014 and taking the time to figure out if expansion is the best option, so two more years aren’t going to make a difference at this point.
The reports suggest that expansion is an option that is on the table for the next contract. So, fans just need to sit back and let the next two years happen.
This playoff isn’t excluding anyone. Instead, it’s keeping the standards extremely high for college football, which is what you want in them.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey already expressed his opinion about this expansion and how he doesn’t want it to happen early but is in favor of the 12-team option in 2026.
So for them to expand early, it would take all 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to all agree anonymously. That agreement isn’t going to happen, not in the next two years, and if it does, it would be surprising.
Keeping it at four games is a good thing for Georgia because the SEC proved if a team is good enough doesn’t win its conference championship, they are still worthy enough to get into the playoffs. Georgia did it this year, and Alabama did it during the 2017 playoffs.
The SEC is the only conference with multiple teams good enough to have two in the playoffs. Not to take away from the other conferences or anything, but the schedules Georgia and Alabama play are tough, and the stats don’t lie.
So for the next two years, the same kind of playoff will happen, and until the end of this contract, Georgia fans should appreciate the Dawgs being a part of this exclusive club. They contend yearly, and with head coach Kirby Smart that will continue.