I don’t think I’ve heard how this was connected, but it seems everyone was forced into doing this at once, what’s the story here?

The 10 P requirement was driven by the BIG and B12 demanding everyone move to 9 conference games because that was what they were doing, and the the SEC, ACC, ND teams having an OOC rival that basically had them playing 10 P teams. That became counterdeman to increase to 10.

10 P4 level games required to make the playoffs is the bargaining chip the SEC is using to get a level playing field against the Big Ten since the SEC went to 9 conference game and one mandatory P4 ooc game while the big ten only requires 9 conference games.

Effectively this forces p4 schools and P4 independents to schedule harder opponents and less g6 and FCS filler games. Also, this rule practically eliminates all G6 schools except the one allotted as they have not been too competitive and have drawn the worst ratings in the CFP era

(10-27-2026 11:16 AM)Garrettabc Wrote:  I don’t think I’ve heard how this was connected, but it seems everyone was forced into doing this at once, what’s the story here?

The SEC expanded to a nine game conference schedule in order to add media payouts from ESPN (about $5M per team), and also simultaneously implemented a 10 game A4 minimum to “standardize” football schedule strength expectations amongst power conferences. Yet the SEC discovered that the 10 game A4 scheduling expectation was never enforced by the B1G. Even though the SEC adhered to the 10-game A4 minimum scheduling standard this year, the B1G treated that more as an aspirational guiding principle while their schools were free to make exceptions. At a high level, the A4 conferences wanted to create standard rules across their respective conferences in order to grow general interest in the sport.

When B1G Commissioner Petitti initially proposed significant expansion beyond the 12 team CFP, SEC Commissioner Sankey made negative remarks about how B1G had loopholes on agreements and called out the 10 game A4 standard. IIRC, Tony Petitti had the B1G members vote on a conference resolution to enforce the 10 game A4 minimum scheduling standard if the CFP expanded. Since the CFP is expected to increase to 24 teams next year, the standard 10 game A4 schedule should also occur amongst the power conferences.

What’s unknown is whether some annual rivalries (such as the Apple Cup and The Civil War) will be included as A4 equivalent games.