College football is built on tradition, rivalries, and high-stakes matchups that fans look forward to every season. But what happens when the very system designed to determine the best teams actually discourages those games from happening? That’s the problem SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is pointing out after Nebraska and Wake Forest both canceled non-conference series with Tennessee and Ole Miss.
In an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show, Sankey didn’t blame Nebraska or Wake Forest for their decisions. Instead, he pointed the finger at the College Football Playoff selection process, revealing that Nebraska’s athletic director spoke with CFP committee members and was told canceling the Tennessee game wouldn’t hurt their playoff chances.
“I think we have to cope with that reality. That’s not great for college football,” Sankey said.
And he’s right. If teams are being told they don’t need to schedule tough out-of-conference matchups to make the playoff, why would they take the risk? The current system rewards teams for playing it safe, which means fewer marquee games for fans and fewer measuring-stick matchups for playoff selection.
Why this is a problem for college football
For years, college football has thrived on early-season nonconference showdowns. Think about games like Clemson vs. LSU, Alabama vs. Florida State, or Ohio State vs. Texas — all scheduled for this coming 2025 season. These matchups are what make the regular season feel like a playoff in itself, but they've been diminished because of the College Footbal Playoff.
However, if the CFP committee is indirectly encouraging schools to cancel big games in favor of easier paths, then we’re moving toward a world where teams just play weak non-conference opponents, rack up wins, and rely on their conference slate to get them in. That’s a problem, especially for conferences that don’t have the same depth as the SEC or Big Ten.
Sankey even pointed out how the SEC had three-loss teams ranked ahead of two-loss teams from other conferences, largely due to strength of schedule. But for teams outside the SEC, why risk an extra loss when the committee is essentially saying it won’t help you? The incentive structure is broken.
Who Really Loses? The Fans.
At the end of the day, the people getting shortchanged the most are the fans. Nebraska vs. Tennessee would have been a throwback to a time when both programs were national powerhouses. Wake Forest vs. Ole Miss might not have had the same level of nostalgia, but it still would have been a fun matchup between two solid teams.
Now, instead of seeing those games, fans are left with another round of early-season cupcakes that don’t really move the needle. And we should expect more cancellations to come in the future.
If the College Football Playoff is going to be the driving force behind scheduling decisions, then it needs to do a better job of rewarding teams for challenging themselves. Otherwise, we’re going to lose one of the best things about the sport—the unpredictability of regular season showdowns that give us thrilling upset and unexpected contenders.
Sankey put it bluntly: “I’d like to see us play more of these high-profile games both within the conference and outside the conference.” But until the CFP changes the way it evaluates teams, programs will continue making business decisions instead of football decisions. And that’s a shame for everyone who loves the game.