Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne has called for the end of the 34-year tradition of the Southeastern Conference title game, stating that the tradition has run its course. This comes after Alabama narrowly qualified for the College Football Playoff despite a 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC championship game. Byrne's comments were made in an interview with USA Today. However, Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte have suggested moving the playoffs up to the week of conference championship games, while Lane Kiffin and other coaches questioned the potential for the game to be played in 2024. Despite this, Smart, a four-time SEC champion, said he would never apologize for winning an SEC title.