Kirby Smart reacts to SEC ending championship game: ‘Times are changing’
Published:
Everything in life, even things that are free, come at a cost. The price of the 24-team College Football Playoff was exorbitant, but not for the greedy paws scrounging for every dollar of revenue they can find.
Now that we’re going to see two dozen schools play for a national championship next season and beyond, college football’s conference championship games have, at light speed, gone the way of the Dodo. The 2026 SEC Championship will be the last of its kind. On Monday, Kirby Smart spoke about that development.
“It’s a great, historic game. It’s great for the players, the programs, the fans,” Smart said. “The location has been awesome for us. The venue is incredible. All those things are awesome. But times, they are a-changin’. And as they change, you’ve got to adapt with it.”
Smart admitted everyone “kind of knew” this was coming when a 24-team playoff was first discussed. While accurate, that doesn’t make the sting of the game’s dismissal hurt any less.
Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) has the inside track at appearing in and winning the 2026 SEC Championship as the lone one-loss team in the conference. The Bulldogs hope to remain atop the standings following Missouri‘s trip to Athens on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
