The College Football Playoff is heading towards a 14-team playoff starting in 2026.
ESPN’s Pete Thames and Heather Dinich reported late Wednesday that the contract after 2025 has optimism for a 14-team playoff system. No contract is in place after 2025, so efforts are focused on an agreement in the coming weeks.
Full story w/ @PeteThamel on AQs, revenue and governance Sources: 14-team College Football Playoff has 'momentum' https://t.co/X1LG3aemrF
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) February 29, 2024
A deadline is set for mid-March for the post-2025 College Football Playoff (CFP), but nothing is certain. Executive Director Bill Hancock pressed upon the need to get a deal done. Hancock also stated, “There’s optimism and “momentum” for a 14-team playoff starting in 2026.”
Why 14-Teams for College Football Playoff
The most significant reason for moving to 14 teams before seeing a 12-team playoff system is the ability to allow for more automatic qualifiers within the Power 4 conferences.
“Another source summed the cautious optimism of cohesion in the group this way: ‘The balance in the room is how to recognize contributions of the Big Ten and SEC while also being fair and collaborative to the collective room.’”
The proposal for 14 teams would allow for three automatic qualifiers for the Big Ten and SEC and allow for two automatic qualifiers for the Big 12 and ACC.
A guaranteed spot for at least one group of 5 teams also seems optimistic. Three at-large bids would be built in, possibly a fourth at large or Notre Dame.
College Football Playoff Contract Stalled
As reported by Gridiron Heroics earlier this month, the contract talks for after 2025 are still lingering. 7.8 Billion Dollars is not a small matter to take lightly.
” There are three major issues going forward — access through automatic qualification, division of money, and how the group will be governed. Sources caution that the discussions are ongoing and fluid, and there’s still work being done on these three major issues. This is where things currently stand, with sources saying things could change.”
These seem like significant issues to overcome in the next few weeks.
”Timing of a final decision on a format is uncertain, but CFP leaders are facing a somewhat urgent timeline with regards to a new television deal. A format for a future playoff is one of several unresolved issues that commissioners must tackle before extending its deal with ESPN through 2031, a contract worth $1.3 billion annually, according to the network’s own reporting.” According to Yahoo Sports.
Financial Setup in New Model
In the old model, about 80% of the CFP revenue went to the Power 5, while 20% has been allocated to the Group of 5. The new model promises to be more weighted toward the SEC and Big Ten.
“Sources told ESPN that discussions have centered around the SEC and Big Ten earning somewhere between 25% and 30% of the CFP revenue. The ACC and Big 12 would be next, and they’d earn somewhere between 15% and 20%. That leaves a smaller chunk — somewhere around 6% to 10% for the other leagues and nearly 1% for Notre Dame.” All according to ESPN.
Other Possible Reasons Why
Some may look to the recent NFL move to a seven-team playoff on each side of the AFC and NFC. Each side’s number one seed gets a bye week. More football is being viewed as equaling more money.
College Football could be considering this successful change as another viable reason before a 12-team playoff has ever been seen.
Currently, the CFP is set for first-round home games for the higher seed. With more teams being involved, more home games could be played.
Nothing can be ruled out as to why this change might be happening. Overall, the hope for a majority of people is that the deal will be done before the deadline, notwithstanding the results.
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