College football playoff at risk of major shake up

The future of the College Football Playoff hangs in the balance as the Big Ten and SEC remain locked in a high-stakes standoff. The four power conference commissioners met on Sunday morning to discuss a potential expansion which would see the playoffs move from 12-teams to 16 or 24. The Big Ten and the SEC control the voting power but are yet to reach an agreement on the expansion format ahead of Friday's crucial deadline. According to ESPN, there is overwhelming support for a 16-team playoff structure but the Big Ten won't agree to it unless the SEC agrees to a 24-team setup in three years. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti made the situation clear as he exited a tense meeting in South Beach on Sunday. 'Still more work to do,' Petitti told reporters outside the Lowe's hotel meeting room. Meanwhile, Sankey and Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, who is the chair of the CFP's board of managers, offered his own perspective. 'This was not a deadline day of any kind,' Keenum said after the meeting. 'So they're still talking. We anticipate discussions will continue, and they will make a decision to stay at 12 or go to some other number.' The deadlock threatens to derail plans for expansion, potentially freezing the playoff at 12 teams for at least another year. ESPN, the sole TV rights holder, has imposed the Friday deadline for a decision. For a 24-team format to be put in place, it would require conferences to remove their championship games - which would likely prove costly for the SEC. Meanwhile, mid-American conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher claimed that there will be 'a lot of conversation' taking place this week over the matter. 'There's two conferences that very much will drive where this ship goes,' he said. 'Stay tuned.' Elsewhere on Sunday, Donald Trump vowed to protect the annual Army-Navy football game time slot from competition amid talk of potential CFP expansion. In a social media post, the 79-year-old fan pledged to sign an executive order preventing other postseason college football games from being played during Army-Navy's four-hour window on the second Saturday of December. 'The Army-Navy Game is one of our Greatest American Traditions — Unmatched Patriotism, Courage, and Honor! This incredible Tradition is now at risk of being pushed aside by more College Playoff Games, and Big TV Money,' he wrote. 'NOT ANYMORE! 'Under my Administration, the second Saturday in December belongs to Army-Navy, and ONLY Army-Navy! I will soon sign a Historic Executive Order securing an EXCLUSIVE 4 hour Broadcast window, so this National Event stands above Commercial Postseason Games. No other Game or Team can violate this Time Slot!!! 'On the field, they are rivals, but on the battlefield they are America's unstoppable Patriots, defending our Country with tremendous Strength and Heart. We must protect the Tradition, and the Players, who protect us. Please let this serve as Notice to ALL Television Networks, Stations, and Outlets. God Bless America, and God Bless our great Army-Navy Game!!! President Donald J. Trump.' For years, Trump has embraced the pageantry of the Army-Navy game while making six appearances at the annual rivalry matchup. As for his own rooting interest, Trump has never revealed any favoritism towards the Black Knights or Midshipmen and has no personal or familial connection to any branch of the military.