Paul Finebaum highlights disparity in strength of leagues after major conference realignment

Recent reports suggest the Big Ten and SEC are controlling the future of college football and the CFP. For SEC Network insider Paul Finebaum, that’s because they are and that isn’t changing anytime soon.

On Wednesday’s edition of “Always College Football”, where he appears with Greg McElroy, the college football insider talked about the different roles of each conference in the game now. While it's clear the Big Ten and SEC hold the power, the other conferences' amount of influence is less encouraging.

“I just think there, you know – we’re at a point where, if you don’t want to play along, you probably better take your toy and go home and expect that the G5, Big 12, ACC Shootout is going to draw crickets while the SEC vs. Big Ten is going to be on the two major networks,” Paul Finebaum said.

As Finebaum also noted, the Big Ten and SEC could also break away if they so desired, as they have biggest network deals and many popular programs in their ranks.

SEC and Big Ten teams are at the center of the college football world. - Source: Imagn

That situation means that while the Big 12, ACC and Group of Five have a seat at the table, they don’t have the strength to oppose many of the decisions taken by the two most powerful conferences.

Executives from the SEC and Big Ten reportedly met on Wednesday to work on a new proposal for the College Football Playoff. Any changes for the 2025-2026 postseason would have to be approved unanimously, but starting the following season, they would require a majority vote.

SEC-Big Ten Commissioners reportedly want straight seeding in CFP

The first 12-team CFP had its share of controversies. Perhaps the biggest one was the way the seeding was determined. According to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, SEC and Big Ten commissioners are looking for the seeding to match the CFP ranking straight up.

In the first edition under this format, the four highest ranked conference champions earned the first four seeds, meaning they would also earn first round byes.

As a result, No. 9 ranked Boise State and No. 12 Arizona State went straight to the quarterfinals, while Texas and Penn State, ranked third and fourth respectively, had to host a first round game.

At this moment, this is the only outcome the conference executives have discussed publicly. The CFP Management Committee will meet in Dallas on Feb. 25. That meeting will probably give fans -and the other conferences- a better look at future plans for the playoff.