Kirby Smart Would Ax The SEC Title Game If The Playoff Expands, But Not At 12 Teams

Kirby Smart’s latest comments have pushed a long-running college football debate back into the spotlight: what happens to the SEC championship game if the College Football Playoff keeps growing? The Georgia coach said he would support removing the title game only if the postseason expands enough to make it unnecessary, pointing to the strain of adding more games to an already crowded schedule.

His view matters because Smart is the only active SEC coach who has won the conference title game, and he also has one of the strongest résumés in the league. Georgia has reached the SEC championship game eight times in Smart’s 10 seasons in Athens and has won four conference titles under him, including three in the last four seasons.

Smart’s stance depends on playoff format

Smart told On3’s Chris Low that he does not believe the SEC championship game should disappear under the current 12-team playoff model. But he said the equation changes if the postseason expands to 16 or 24 teams and the season must end earlier.

“Where we are right now with 12 teams in the playoff, I don’t necessarily agree that it needs to quit being played,” Smart said. “But if it gets to 16 or 24 and we’ve got to move the end of the season up and we’ve got to get everything done by the second week of January, then I’d say it probably has to go.”

That position reflects a practical concern as much as a competitive one. Smart said the SEC should gain something in return if it removes its championship game, such as having teams play in the first round of the playoff during that weekend instead.

Why the debate is growing inside the SEC

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne also voiced support for eliminating the SEC championship game, showing Smart is not alone among the league’s leadership. The timing is important because the SEC will add a ninth conference game in 2026, which would make a championship appearance the 10th league game for the two teams that reach Atlanta.

Smart has already warned that more conference games create more physical stress on players. After Georgia’s 28-7 win over Alabama in last season’s title game, he pointed to the wear and tear from an already long season.

“Those two teams were beat up tonight. That was the ninth game of the year. We’re looking at next year having another game,” Smart said in December. “I mean, the coaches in our league are concerned about it — very concerned about it. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t speak my piece and say it’s concerning.”

That concern is not abstract. Georgia lost pass rusher Gabe Harris to a toe injury in the SEC championship game, and he was unable to play against Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff.

What the playoff format changes could mean

The College Football Playoff will stay at 12 teams for the upcoming season after the conferences failed to agree on an expanded format. That means the SEC championship game will remain meaningful in the current setup, especially because teams still need seeding help and automatic momentum entering the playoff.

Still, the future could look different if expansion returns to the table. A simple breakdown of the pressure points looks like this:

1. More playoff teams could reduce the need for a conference title game.
2. A longer regular season would add physical risk for players.
3. An earlier playoff calendar would shrink the space for extra postseason matchups.
4. The SEC would likely want a replacement value before giving up a major event.

Smart said he supports a larger playoff field in principle, though he has not picked a preferred model. His broader view is that competition in the SEC already creates a brutal path, and that should be part of any discussion about postseason structure.

A title game he still respects

Even while questioning its future, Smart has never dismissed the importance of the SEC championship game. He has often said it can be harder to win than a national title because of the level of competition in the conference.

“We’ve seen it both ways, but I will never apologize for winning an SEC title,” Smart said. “I think it’s the hardest thing to do in sports, winning the dang SEC title in almost any sport, because our conference is so hard. And when we went to 16 teams in our league, it only made it harder.”

That message captures why the issue is so complicated for the SEC. The league’s championship game remains one of college football’s biggest events, but expansion, added conference games and playoff pressure are forcing administrators and coaches to weigh tradition against logistics.

For now, the SEC championship game is still scheduled for Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 5, and Smart’s comments suggest its long-term future may depend on whether college football chooses more playoff access or preserves the value of a standalone conference title.