Before Alabama’s embarrassing performance against Indiana in the playoffs, Georgia humiliated the Tide in the SEC Championship game last season. The sting of that humiliation may be prompting some drastic opinions in Tuscaloosa. Athletic Director Greg Byrne is now advocating for a radical change that could reshape the path to the College Football Playoff.

“I think the ship has sailed,” said Byrne during an interview with USA Today, referring to the future of the SEC championship game. “It’s run its course.”

The Alabama AD, who has been with the program since 2017, pointed to the expanded CFP as the driving force behind this situation. While it’ll still be a 12-team bracket for 2026, a change to either 16 or 24 teams is expected in the future. Byrne favors the 16-team format and no conference title games to start and end the playoffs early.

This 5+11 model, backed by the ACC, the Big 12, and the SEC, does not officially eliminate conference title games. While the model itself focuses on automatic bids for the five highest-ranked conference champions, the broader discussion around expanding to 16 teams has led to viewing it as a potential stepping stone toward removing title games to manage player workload.

Byrne isn’t alone in this sentiment within the conference, though. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, whose Bulldogs beat Alabama in last season’s SEC Championship game, has told On3 about eliminating the conference title game, but it depends heavily on the CFP parameters.

“Where we are right now with 12 teams, I don’t necessarily agree that it needs to quit being played. 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,” said Kirby Smart.

Here’s where Byrne’s continued push for a 16-team format gives Alabama a huge advantage. In a 12-team field, a lopsided loss in a conference title game can lead to a “steep fall” in rankings, potentially knocking a team out of the playoffs entirely if they have three losses (exception: Alabama appeared in the 2025 CFP with three losses). But a 16-team field adds four more at-large spots, making it almost impossible for a 10–3 SEC runner-up.

The push for a 16-team format also comes down to a significant competitive edge: home-field advantage. Under the current 12-team model, Alabama’s SEC title loss dropped them to the No. 9 seed and forced a tough road game at Oklahoma. A 16-team bracket, however, could allow seeds as low as No. 12 to host, meaning a similar slip-up wouldn’t necessarily cost the Tide a home playoff game in Tuscaloosa.

Although Byrne is not against the conference title game, with the CFP format expanding, he knows the reality. “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,” said the Alabama AD.

While SEC title games are currently still part of the schedule and Alabama has won 11 of them, more than any program since 1992, commissioners have discussed using a 16-team window to evaluate whether title games should be eliminated or repurposed as ‘play-in’ games for the playoff. Either way, they need to choose one clear direction. In fact, Byrne echoed that same sentiment.

“I think we need to pick a lane,” said Byrne. “We were headed for 16, and then there seemed to be pressure for 24. So, as soon as we get to 24, I guess you could say, ‘Well, we better go to 48.’ I mean, at some point, we have to pick a lane.”

Now, the expansion of the CFP format remains uncertain in the following seasons, but DeBoer’s future with Alabama does not.

Alabama is on the way to making a big decision

Kalen DeBoer’s future with Alabama has taken a dramatic turn in recent months. Early optimism followed Alabama’s 34–24 opening-round CFP victory over Oklahoma when reports surfaced that the program had begun discussions about extending DeBoer’s contract. But that cooled quickly after a stunning 38–3 quarterfinal loss to Indiana. Now, a new update has emerged.

Alabama AD Greg Byrne has confirmed to On3 that a potential contract extension is ongoing, even though DeBoer is already under contract through December 2031. With a 20–8 record over two seasons and clear signs of commitment from the head coach, Alabama is now thinking about long-term stability.

In fact, the coach doesn’t want to leave Alabama at any cost. “I knew what I was getting into when I came here. Alabama was the only place that was going to take me away from what was a great job at Washington,” DeBoer told On3. “There’s noise everywhere you coach. There was at Sioux Falls and Fresno State, not like this obviously. But wherever you are, you block that out.”

“I’m excited about the future here and what we’ve done in our last two recruiting classes. Considering we’ve only been together for two years, we’re pushing to get over that hump,” added DeBoer.

Now, entering his third season with the Tide, DeBoer’s focus is clear: a national title.