Fans and talking heads always want to know if the College Football Playoff will be expanded. Many of them simply ask when, not if, the system will expand from the current four-team format.

While that debate will likely never go away, the realization is that expanding the Playoff could alter the very thing that makes college football standout from every other sport in America — the importance of the regular season.

That’s something Greg Sankey touched on when asked about Playoff expansion during his appearance at the SportsBusiness Journal and Daily’s Intercollegiate Athletic Forum from New York City on Thursday.

“The conversation around the Playoff is continuous,” Sankey said. “It has protected the regular season and if you were to expand, what are you going to give up? Is it just additive, or are there impacts? I think there would be impacts.”

The SEC commissioner went on to admit he understands there is “pressure” to expand the Playoff but again suggests that his league would not favor such an expansion.

“Whatever is considered, and there will always be pressure to expand,” Sankey offered up. “I want to be careful, not just from a selfish way but from a practical way, I think what happened last weekend in Atlanta is something special to college football. It’s clearly special for the Southeastern Conference. The championship game was the first at this level. It creates interest that determines a champion.”

Video of Sankey being interviewed by Paul Finebaum from the event was shared by the SportsBusiness Journal: