Friday, the university presidents who oversee the College Football Playoff voted to expand the methodology for picking the national champion from four to twelve participants by the 2026 season.
If possible, the Board of Managers of the College Football Playoff would aim to implement the revised model by the 2024 season.
“Today is a momentous and exciting day for college football,” said Mississippi State President Mark Keenum, who serves as the board’s chairman. More teams, involvement, and enthusiasm are beneficial for our fans, alumni, and athletes.
A process that began 14 and a half months ago with the enthusiastic presentation of an ambitious plan, but was stalled as conference leaders argued over details and questioned each other’s motivations, is now finally advancing.
The presidents unanimously supported the original 12-team playoff proposal, which called for the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large selections decided by a selection committee.
The top four seeds would receive byes into the second round as conference champions. The first round of games would be played on campus, while the remaining games would be played at bowl sites.
Starting in 2026, a 12-team, 11-game postseason system to award a champion could be worth up to $2 billion in broadcast rights to the major college football conferences.
If the new model can be adopted before ESPN’s existing 12-year contract expires with the 2025 season, the leagues may earn an additional $450 million over the final two years. The present contract pays approximately $470 million annually.
Beyond 2025, there is no playoff television contract. The intention is to push the new format to the open market and incorporate multiple TV partners, as opposed to ESPN alone.
The conference commissioners who make up the CFP management committee are set to meet next week to resolve outstanding issues.
The largest question is whether the logistical obstacles, such as game dates, host venues, available broadcast windows, and influence on the regular-season schedule, can be resolved in time for a new playoff to be implemented by 2024.