10
Loading video...
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The SEC announced Monday that this year's SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will be the last of its kind, capping a 35-year run. The news came moments after the College Football Playoff management committee unanimously approved a 24-team playoff beginning in 2027-28. The expansion follows a new media rights deal with ESPN, reported at $1.7 billion, that gives the network all 23 games in the new format.
With the larger bracket and the schedule changes it requires, conference championship games will go away. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had earlier said current contracts kept the game in Atlanta through 2031, but the playoff changes shifted that timeline.
Georgia's Kirby Smart was asked about the decision on Monday, saying he didn't really have much to add about the change and that "we all kind of knew" what was coming once the new 24-team playoff was proposed.
Read More on NCAA
"Yeah, not a real comment. I mean, I think we all kind of knew, right? So it's not really news that's breaking," Smart said. "I honestly don't concern myself with that at all. So I don't have a lot of commentary about it. I think it's a great historic game. It's great for the player, the programs, the fans. The location has been awesome. For us, the venue is incredible. All those things are awesome. Times, they are a-changin'. And as they change, you've got to adapt with it."
More news: Kirby Smart Assistant Emerges as Candidate for Florida State Head Coaching Job
The SEC Championship Game debuted in 1992 at Legion Field in Birmingham, where Alabama beat Florida 28-21, and has been in Atlanta since 1994. Officials say it helped push 14 SEC teams to national championships.
Smart is the only active SEC coach to have won the game, and Georgia has won it four times under him, including in 2017, 2022, 2024, and last year's 28-7 win over Alabama. The Bulldogs are 8-1 this season and ranked No. 1 in the latest AP poll, putting them in prime position to get back to the game again this season.
More news: Paul Finebaum Tears Into Lane Kiffin as LSU’s CFP Odds Plummet
...
More news: Michigan Makes Another Puzzling QB Decision After Michigan State Loss
Ending it makes sense on paper, since a 24-team field has no room for an extra game, but a lot of fans hate the idea. Many view 24 teams as watering down the regular season, creating more mismatches and adding unnecessary wear and tear on players.
Nick Saban recently said the "bottom line is money," and Sankey, along with various others, have favored a 16-team field instead. The loss of tradition adds to the frustration, since conference title games are some of the sport's biggest events.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines