Greg Byrne deals with the possibility of a 9-game conference plan, a playoff structure and an expansion

Birmingham, Ala.-two weeks ago, the SEC leaders gathered in New Orleans to speak to a 9-game conference plan about the future of college football playoffs and the opportunity.

The two editions seem to be linked.

Without guaranteed places in the playoffs, the theory applies, the schools would play an additional conference game cautiously and therefore have a more difficult schedule for navigation.

Where is Alabama's sports director, Greg Byrne?

He was in Birmingham for the Tipoff Club on Monday.

“I think there is a way to achieve nine,” he said when asked whether a 9-game conference plan can take place without automatic qualifications. “We will see whether it makes sense for the conference as a whole. We are a vote there.

“But again we planned as if we were playing eight conference games.”

This coming season Alabama will play two Power 4 teams: Florida State from the ACC and Wisconsin from the big ten.

There are future non-conference games against West Virginia, Ohio State and Notre Dame, to name just a few.

Last year, the SEC voted shortly before the vote on a 9-game conference plan for spring meetings, instead stood with eight games and replaced departments.

At the time, trainers and administrators said that they wanted to wait and see how the Playoff selection committee would evaluate the planning after expanding the field from four to 12 teams.

Alabama was left out of the playoff. SMU, which had less loss, but had a significantly weaker strength of the schedule than the Crimson Tide.

There is also the question of how much the television partner of the SEC, ESPN, would be willing to pay for further conference games.

“I know that there were some discussions that the meeting came out,” Byrne said about the possible dynamics of nine conference games from New Orleans. “I know that there has been a discussion in the past. I will only say that we have planned two Power 4 games without a conference next year. We have Florida State and Wisconsin. We did that to have eight conference games.

“So nothing was decided in one way or another. And you know that we will probably have another discussion here, I appreciate, in this spring or two spring and see where we end up.”

Byrne was also asked about his attitude to extend the playoff field again to 14 or 16 teams.

“I don't have a strong opinion at the moment,” he said. “I think the expansion to 12 was good for opportunities. And you know, there are fan bases. It is not good for college football.

“At the same time, this also has to be recognized and not two against three losses, one against two losses, whatever the decisive factor.