Friday, the university presidents who oversee the College Football Playoff decided to extend the methodology for picking the national champion from four to twelve participants by the 2026 season.
If feasible, 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 players.
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 specifics and questioned each other’s intentions, is now finally advancing.
The presidents unanimously supported the initial 12-team playoff plan, which called for the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large selections decided by a selection committee.
The top four seeds would earn 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 venues.
Starting in 2026, a 12-team, 11-game playoff system to award a champion could be worth up to $2 billion in broadcast rights to the major college football leagues.
If the new model can be adopted before ESPN’s existing 12-year deal ends with the 2025 season, the leagues may earn an extra $450 million over the last two years. The present contract pays around $470 million annually.
Beyond 2025, there is no playoff television deal. The intention is to push the new model to the open market and incorporate numerous 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 concerns.
The largest concern 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.
The committee must also choose how these increased revenues will be distributed.