SEC Championship Game to end after 2026 as College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - The Southeastern Conference Championship Game will be played for the last time this season after the College Football Playoff announced Tuesday it will expand from 12 teams to 24 teams, effective next season.

Alexis Thornton spoke with three-time SEC champion DJ Jones of Columbus and Auburn University students about what the change means for college football culture.

Final game set for Dec. 5 in Atlanta

The final SEC Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It will be the 35th edition of a matchup that began in 1992.

The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams starting in the 2027-28 season.

Auburn students react

One Auburn student questioned the end of the game.

“The history of the SEC itself, like thinking that 2026 is going to be the last year, like it’s like, whoa, why?” the student said. “Why are we just cutting that short?”

Another student said the game has been part of SEC history.

“It’s been a tradition for a while, and so the fact that it’s going away now, I don’t know, it just feels like we’re losing something that had a lot of meaning to it,” the student said.

A third student said the playoff expansion changes what a conference title game means for teams.

“They’re just watering down everything,” the student said. “They’re just making money.”

Alabama, Georgia and Auburn lead title count

The SEC Championship Game has featured some of the conference’s biggest rivalries. Alabama leads with 11 SEC championships, Georgia has six and Auburn has three. Those three teams have won more than half of the games.

A current coach said the game has been important to his program.

“I know this championship game is a big deal, and one that we were part of last year,” the coach said. “I want to be a part of it again this year. I’ve not had a chance to win one, and you always want those opportunities.”

The coach said the game is “great for the players, the programs, the fans” and that the location “has been awesome for us.”

“As they change, you’ve got to adapt with it,” the coach said.

Former Georgia player says he hates to see game go

DJ Jones, a former Georgia player and current host of the “Sports Visions” morning show, played on three SEC Championship teams at the University of Georgia.

Jones said he hates to see the game end.

“Being a part of three SEC Championship teams at the University of Georgia, I hate it,” Jones said. He said players in the SEC, the Big Ten and other conferences have had the opportunity to be a champion of their conference, and “that’s going to all go away.”

Jones said that, like other changes in college football, he believes this one will work itself out over time.