Alabama AD Greg Byrne says ‘ship has sailed’ on SEC Championship Game
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The SEC Championship Game has been one of the premiere games of every college football season since it arrived in 1992. But it may fall victim to the sport’s latest changes.
While the College Football Playoff continues to expand, some of the key voices in the sport are trying to find ways to shorten the season in other spots.
Greg Byrne, Alabama’s Director of Athletics, shared his thoughts in an interview with USA Today.
“I think the ship has sailed. It’s run its course… It’s a great event. I don’t like the idea of it going away, but I think it’s reality, with an expanded playoff.”
Greg Byrne via USA Today
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Future of the SEC Championship Game
No team has played in the SEC Championship Game more than the Crimson Tide which holds an 11-5 record in the title game.
However, last year’s loss to Georgia nearly cost Alabama a spot in the playoff.
Now, this doesn’t mean a decision will be made anytime soon but Byrne certainly has a voice and his opinion can carry plenty of weight with other athletic directors and decision makers around the conference.
Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said earlier this year that he would get rid of the conference championship games and start the playoff the first week of December.
“When coaches don’t think the juice of the SEC Championship is worth the squeeze, and when prominent athletic directors like Byrne and Del Conte think it’s time to end the game, you must take seriously that conference championship games are an endangered species.”
Blake Toppmeyer, USA Today Sports
The 2026 College Football Playoff will remain at 12 teams and no conference championship game changes are expected for the upcoming season.
But as the playoff expands, it seems more likely that the SEC champion will be crowned by regular season performance instead of a neutral-site game.
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