Greg Sankey is trying to find consensus on several fronts when it comes to college football. As far as the SEC is concerned, a scheduling format is still at a deadlock, but there’s been some movement.

The SEC is split on an 8-game (1 permanent and 7 rotational) format versus a 9-game model (3 permanent and 6 rotational), though this week in Destin, Florida at the SEC Spring Meetings the 8-game model has picked up more support, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reported.

The SEC commissioner told reporters on Friday, as leaders across the conference left Destin, that the College Football Playoff is a factor. Sankey added that the decision could go beyond the calendar year, but there is “no certainty” that there will be a resolution to CFP expansion next year.

Sankey described that a timeline for a decision could be late summer of in the fall.

Sankey said there’s a false narrative that the television networks have influence in these talks.

“We’ve told the networks where we are, I don’t take a lot of input from ESPN, ABC,” he said.

About a general overview of college sports, Sankey said, “It’s never going to be the way that it was, but it doesn’t have to be the way that it is.”

In other news around the league:

  • Sankey said the SEC discussed a 20-game conference schedule for basketball, but an 18-game schedule allows pretty effective rotation, and there’s a lot of comfort with that. The SEC also will eliminate some of its requirements for non-conference scheduling.
  • The SEC also reached an agreement to have the baseball tournament remain in Hoover for the next 2 years.