Florida's Jon Sumrall Cracks Jokes, Defends Tulane Exit at 1st SEC Media Days

Q: With coaches demanding calendar changes, how soon could a 24-team playoff replace conference championship games?

A 24-team College Football Playoff could replace conference championship games as soon as the 2027 season, but only if the sport’s power brokers agree on a new format by Dec. 1, 2026. If that deadline slips, the earliest realistic start moves to 2028. That timeline matches the broader push from coaches such as Jon Sumrall, who have argued the current calendar is unworkable when coaching changes, the transfer portal and playoff preparation collide. The American Football Coaches Association has formally backed a larger playoff, the removal of conference title games and an earlier end to the season, reflecting growing pressure from the coaching profession for a cleaner schedule. The main obstacle is not logistics but politics and money inside the sport. The Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 have shown support for a 24-team model, but the SEC remains the key holdout, preferring a smaller field and wary of giving up the revenue and prestige tied to its championship game. The SEC title game alone is viewed as a major financial asset, so any expanded playoff would need to prove it can replace that value. Under the proposed 24-team format, conference championship weekend would effectively become the opening weekend of the playoff, likely requiring the regular season to start earlier and end by late November. So the answer is soon, but only if the SEC and Big Ten align quickly. Right now, 2027 is possible, not guaranteed.

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 22

Jon Sumrall used his first SEC Media Days appearance Wednesday in Tampa to defend how he left Tulane, saying he would not have taken a new job if it meant skipping the playoff game.
The first-year Florida coach drew a sharp distinction with Lane Kiffin's move from Ole Miss to LSU, saying an SEC-to-SEC switch was not comparable to leaving a Group of Five program for the conference.
One awkward moment turned comic when a reporter's phone started blaring during the session, prompting Sumrall to joke that the offender would have been thrown out of a Florida team meeting.
Sumrall's unscripted style extended to praise for Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, as he bluntly recalled Tulane getting "beat the sh*t out of" twice by the Rebels last season.
The appearance introduced Sumrall as one of the SEC's more candid new voices ahead of his first season leading Florida after choosing the Gators over Auburn.