SEC commissioner: 'More traction' on 16-team playoff than he anticipated

kAmp >@G6 E@ `c E62>D 925 366? H:56=J G:6H65 2D E96 ?6IE 6IA2?D:@?[ 3FE $2?<6J D2:5 “`e 92D 364@>6 >@C6 46?EC2= :? E96 4@?G6CD2E:@?] (6’C6 :?E6C6DE65[ ?@E 4@>>:EE65[ 3FE E96 :?E6C6DE =6G6= 92D 8@?6 9:896C]”k^Am

kAm%96 7FEFC6 @7 E96 A=2J@77 H:== 36 2>@?8 E96 E@A:4D 5:D4FDD65 2>@?8 D49@@= AC6D:56?ED[ 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@CD 2?5 4@2496D :? H92E >:89E 36 E96 >@DE 4@?D6BF6?E:2= @7 E96 >2?J 4@?76C6?46 >66E:?8D E2<:?8 A=246 E9:D DAC:?8]k^Am

kAm{2DE H66<[ 2== `_ 4@?76C6?46D 2?5 }@EC6 s2>6 AC@G:565 E96 F?2?:>@FD 28C66>6?E ?66565 E@ >@G6 E@ 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^4@==686\7@@E32==\A=2J@77\D665:?8\_b4_f``bebacc5efge`636gb``_c3d4hQmDEC2:89E D665:?8 >@56=k^2m 7@C ?6IE J62C’D A=2J@77[ H9:49 H:== C6>2:? 2 `a\E62> 2772:C]k^Am

kAmxE’D 2 >@G6 $2?<6J DE2CE65 AFD9:?8 7@C D9@CE=J 27E6C =2DE D62D@?’D 3C24<6E 6=6G2E65 pC:K@?2 $E2E6 2?5 q@:D6 $E2E6 — 6249 C2?<65 ?:?E9 @C =@H6C 3J E96 A=2J@77 D6=64E:@? 4@>>:EE66 — :?E@ E96 E@A 7@FC[ H96C6 E96J C646:G65 7:CDE\C@F?5 3J6D]k^Am

kAm%96 ?6IE >2;@C D92<6FA H:== 4@>6D 7@C E96 a_ae D62D@?[ H96C6 E96 $tr 2?5 q:8 %6? H:== A=2J E96 3:886DE 564:D:@?\>2<:?8 C@=6 :? H92E 4@>6D 7@C E96 D:I\J62C[ Sf]g 3:==:@? t$!} 4@?EC24E E92E 4@G6CD E96 A=2J@77 E9C@F89 a_b`]k^Am

kAm%96 4@>>:DD:@?6C D2:5 96 :D ?6:E96C 4@>>:EE65 E@ E96 `e\E62> :562[ ?@C E@ E96 @7E\7=@2E65 :562 @7 AC@G:5:?8 FA E@ 7@FC 2FE@>2E:4 3:5D E@ 3@E9 E96 $tr 2?5 q:8 %6? :? H92E6G6C 7@C>2E 4@>6D ?6IE]k^Am

kAmp D9:7E E@ >@C6 2FE@>2E:4 3:5D 7@C E96 $tr 4@F=5 =625 E96 =628F6 E@ D4C2A :ED 4@?76C6?46 E:E=6 82>6 — 2 4@?46AE 92E4965 bb J62CD 28@ 3J 7@C>6C $tr 4@>>:DD:@?6C #@J zC2>6C — :? 72G@C @7 D@>6 D=2E6 @7 “A=2J\:?” 82>6D 7@C E9@D6 2FE@>2E:4 DA@ED]k^Am

kAmxE 4@F=5 36 2 >@?6J >2<6C] &=E:>2E6=J[ 2== D49@@=D 56DA6C2E6=J ?665 E@ :?4C62D6 C6G6?F6 E@ 4@G6C E96 Sa_]d >:==:@? :? 5:C64E ?2>6[ :>286[ =:<6?6DD A2J>6?ED[ 2=@?8 H:E9 25565 6IA6?D6D 7@C 7:?2?4:2= 2:5 — 2== @7 H9:49 4@>6 :?E@ A=2J :7 2 7656C2= ;F586 2AAC@G6D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?422\=2HDF:E\C@DE6C\=:>:ED\?:=\h6_dbbdhaa`2ebdcd54a54bf2hd5_5hfQmD6EE=6>6?E E6C>D @7 2 =@?8\CF??:?8 =2HDF:Ek^2m E92E 4@F=5 36 HC2AA65 FA H9:=6 E96 >66E:?8D 2C6 92AA6?:?8 E9:D H66<]k^Am

kAmqFE $2?<6J D2:5 ?@ 564:D:@?D 92G6 366? >256[ 2?5 E9:D :D E96 H66< 7@C 92D9:?8 E96> @FE]k^Am

kAm“(6’== =@@< 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 566A=J 2E 5:776C6?E :562D[ H9:49 H:== AFE >6 2E D@>6 A@:?E :? 2 36EE6C A@D:E:@? E@ 2?DH6C E9@D6 BF6DE:@?D[” $2?<6J D2:5]k^Am