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CFP Playoff Expansion: Deal Deadline Looms
9 Oct
Summary
- Negotiations for a 24-team CFP format face a crucial deadline this week.
- Expansion would require eliminating conference championship games, valued at $300 million.
- ESPN's current $1.3 billion deal for the CFP may need a significant increase.
Negotiations concerning a potential 24-team College Football Playoff format are nearing a critical juncture. A deadline this past Friday required CFP leadership to formally propose terms to ESPN if no agreement was reached. ESPN then has a limited window, potentially extending to October 19th, to respond.
If a deal remains elusive by that date, the CFP leadership, comprising FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's AD, may explore offers from other networks. The viability of a 24-team playoff hinges on the financial value television networks place on the increased number of games.
Implementing this expansion would likely mean the discontinuation of conference championship games, which collectively represent about $300 million in value. This financial loss must be offset by any new broadcast agreement. ESPN currently pays $1.3 billion annually for the 12-team playoff and an additional $200 million for championship game rights.
An increase in the CFP's annual rights fee to approximately $1.6 billion is being considered. Such a move could provide significant financial benefits to major conferences like the SEC and Big Ten, adding millions more in annual media distributions. Whether this wholesale change to the sport is deemed worthwhile remains to be seen.
