Georgia head coach Kirby Smart believes the SEC could succeed with its own playoff system if the league were to break away from the NCAA.
"I've been a huge advocate that (if) we can't find rules that everybody played by, then we should play by our own. I'm not afraid of that," Smart said Tuesday during the SEC's spring meetings, according to The Athletic's Seth Emerson. "I'm not afraid to break away and say that our conference is strong enough to go out and have and play - I mean, like, if we could actually function and it financially would make our programs more stable, and we could support things financially. I'm talking about all the sports and do by our own rules. I'd be all for that."
Smart's comments echo a similar suggestion from Georgia president Jere Morehead, who recently called the idea of an SEC-only playoff "fantastic."
Consideration of a separate postseason system has resurfaced amid growing frustration with the sport's climate. Key concerns include an uneven recruiting landscape and NCAA rules being frequently challenged in court.
Talk of a major shift in the college landscape are emerging as Congress remains hands off regarding legislation that administrators and coaches say is needed to protect the sport's long-term health.
State laws and the NCAA's legal battles have pushed Smart, in particular, to a boiling point.
"I've been to this meeting now 10-11 times, and it's frustrating at times to say, well, we can't do this because of litigation, we can't do this because we get sued, we can't do that," Smart said. "And we're just trying to do things for the betterment of the sports and of the student-athletes - and that's not curtailing what money they make."
Smart added that he'd like to see programs on an equal footing to prevent "a race to the bottom."
Discussions surrounding a potential expansion of the College Football Playoff are also ongoing. The Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 are in support of expanding the 12-team field to 24, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that there's no consensus within his league as to what format the CFP should utilize in 2027. The deadline to decide on expansion is Dec. 1.
