The SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 have announced that 2026 will be the last season for their conference championship games, clearing the way for a planned 24-team College Football Playoff in 2027.

A revised ESPN deal adds $1.7 billion over five years, more than offsetting lost title-game revenue, while supporters hope the expanded playoff will make December a bigger part of the college football calendar.

The new playoff is set to include five automatic qualifiers, including champions from the Power Four conferences, with a selection panel choosing the other 19 teams; the top eight seeds will receive byes, and games will begin on the second weekend in December.

Important details remain unresolved, including how the committee will assess at-large teams, order lower seeds and determine conference champions without title games; some leagues may need to revise their tiebreakers.

The change puts the value of championship games—tradition, rivalries and memorable moments—against concerns about injuries, postseason pressure and the strain of adding another game to an already demanding season.

Over the years, title games have delivered defining moments, from Kansas State’s 35–7 upset of Oklahoma in 2003 and Texas’s last-second 13–12 win over Nebraska in 2009 to Ohio State’s 59–0 rout of Wisconsin in 2014.

Nick Saban questioned replacing conference championships with playoff games involving lower-ranked teams, while Pat Narduzzi argued that winning a conference title matters even to teams that do not reach the national playoff.

Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert warned that ending the games could weaken conference identity, regional rivalries and the fan experience; Drinkwitz called the decision disappointing despite acknowledging there may no longer be a reason to stage the SEC game.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning called the games’ loss “unique and sad,” but said playing one can feel like a punishment because the teams involved keep competing while others are done.

Smart has called the SEC Championship Game historic and valuable to players, programs and fans, while also saying college football must adapt as the playoff changes.

Georgia has appeared in 13 SEC Championship games and won six, including the most recent two; Kirby Smart has a 4–4 record in the game.

Skeptics doubt that a larger playoff will draw viewers, arguing that some projected first-round matchups—such as Georgia Tech at Notre Dame, Tulane at Texas and James Madison at Alabama—could be lopsided.