College Football Playoff nears agreement on 24-team expansion that could end title games — SkimNews
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- College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams starting in 2027, with a proposed "19+4+1" model — 19 at-large bids, four reserved for Power Four champions, and one for the highest-rated Group of Six champion — though final approvals are still required.
- ESPN and the CFP extended their exclusive 30-day negotiating window by five business days after it expired Oct. 9 without an agreement; the CFP called discussions "constructive" in an Oct. 10 statement.
- Big Ten pushed for the 24-team field while SEC's Greg Sankey backed 12-16 teams to preserve the SEC championship game; they compromised after Sankey secured prerequisites including offsetting lost SEC championship game revenue and requiring at least 10 power-conference regular-season opponents.
- Conference championship games are likely to be eliminated — CBS Sports' John Talty said "They're gonna be gone" — with the CFP offering an estimated additional $320 million on top of ESPN's roughly $1.3 billion annual deal to offset lost revenue.
- First two rounds of the expanded playoff would be played on campus with New Year's Six bowls hosting quarterfinals and semifinals; discussions included moving Army-Navy from the second Saturday in December to the first.
- ESPN's existing six-year, $7.8 billion agreement runs through 2031-32 and covers up to 14 teams at no additional cost; under the revenue split, the Big Ten and SEC each receive about 29% of CFP money, compared with roughly 17% for the ACC and 15% for the Big 12.
Why it matters: Conference championship games — traditional season bookends worth a combined $250 million — are likely being eliminated, with the CFP offering an estimated $320 million on top of ESPN's $1.3 billion annual deal to compensate. The Big Ten and SEC maintain structural control, each receiving roughly 29% of CFP revenue, and face a Dec. 1 deadline to finalize the new format.
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