The SEC hasn’t decided which College Football Playoff format it supports yet. According to Greg Byrne and Kalen DeBoer, neither has Alabama football.
DeBoer, speaking Tuesday to reporters during SEC spring meetings, noted his experiences in the NAIA playoffs, back when he was head coach at Sioux Falls.
“I don’t right now, and I’m wide open to that,” DeBoer said of potential formats. “I know I’ve been part now – we weren’t in the 12-team playoff but obviously saw what that looked like, and I’ve been part of a 16-team playoff at smaller colleges, and that was just four weeks of games. I don’t think you’re probably looking much beyond that, as far as the number of teams entering the playoff, but that’s my experiences.”
Alabama was unhappy with being left out of the 2024 12-team playoff, in favor of an SMU team that the Crimson Tide felt did not play nearly the schedule UA did. The frustration with not being rewarded for its strength of schedule has colored how the league deals with potentially adding an extra conference game.
With any possible playoff model, the SEC will be most interested in how the teams, whether 12, 14 or 16, are selected.
“I think there’s also just the details that go into how those teams are picked, how they’re seeded,” DeBoer said. “I think that’s a lot of it, as well. So I’m certainly open-minded to either of those and everything that comes along with it.”
UA athletics director Byrne also said he was open to various formats. Some of the proposed models would build in auto bids for leagues, with a 16-team format potentially including four SEC spots.
Byrne acknowledged that what he wants as Alabama’s AD might differ from others in the league, but mentioned SEC access as a huge point he’d like to see.
“Having a pretty clear understanding of what gets you in, what doesn’t,” Byrne said. “I know last year, I talked about, a lot of what I read was two vs. three losses, and that was concerning. Granted, ultimately, it’s up to you and the play that you have on the field and you gotta recognize that. But I also, I do believe that when you looked at the bullet points, it wasn’t numbers, but bullet points for the CFP, strength of schedule was the first bullet point listed.
“And trying to get some clear understanding of, how is that weighed in the room, is important. I think our conference, because of the play on the field, has deserved the benefit of the doubt, at times, to be considered for the CFP.
The SEC will continue spring meetings in Miramar Beach Fl., through Thursday.
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