Bielema: SEC Needs 9 League Games for CFP Sake

Bielema: SEC needs 9 league games for CFP sake

Speaking Tuesday before Illini Night at Wrigley Field, Illinois coach Bret Bielema told reporters he'd like to see the College Football Playoff expand to 16 teams in 2026, but only if all the major conferences, including the SEC, play nine league games.

Bret Bielema says SEC needs to play 9 conference games for CFP to expand

Bret Bielema believes the SEC should play 9 conference games if the College Football Playoff expands to 14 or 16 teams. Bielema, a former SEC coach at Arkansas, gave his thoughts on Monday before Illinois night at Wrigley Field. “I don’t think there’s any way we can do a 16-team playoff if (the SEC is) not at 9 (conference games),” Bielema told media members. “We voted unanimously as Big Ten coaches to stay at 9 and actually maybe have an SEC Ch…