• Loading stock data...
Thursday, February 13, 2025

Led By SEC and Big Ten, CFP Agrees To Post-2026 Terms

  • The new pact includes agreements related to revenue and potential further expansion to a 14-team playoff.
  • The Big Ten and SEC will combine to earn more than half of all future CFP revenue, according to multiple reports.
Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK

The College Football Playoff hasn’t even seen its first expanded 12-team extravaganza, but that isn’t stopping conferences from looking ahead to the next CFP era.

On Friday, the nine FBS commissioners, as well as Notre Dame, agreed to solidify several details of Playoff expansion beginning in 2026 (when current contracts with ESPN and other New Year’s Six bowl games expire), executive director Bill Hancock said. The contract guarantees that at least 12 teams will make it into the playoff between 2026 and ’31, with the option to consider further expansion.

“We’re pleased to be in the position we’re in, while we know that there’s still more work to be done,” Hancock said.

The sport’s two super conferences have reportedly strong-armed the rest of the leagues into allowing them to get a much larger portion of CFP revenue than they currently collect. As of now, all Power conferences split 80% of playoff revenue equally, with Group of 5 conferences taking the rest. But starting in 2026, the SEC and Big Ten will each take 29% of the pot for themselves, the reports said. Group of 5 schools will earn between 9% and 10%. (Hancock declined to comment on revenue distribution terms.)

The new playoff contract also allows for further expansion, likely to the 14-team model that has been discussed in recent weeks. It’s unclear what the bid structure would look like in that format. Hancock emphasized that there is no “urgency” among administrators to finalize a decision about expansion to 14 teams, pointing out that some have suggested waiting to see how the inaugural 12-team slate plays out.

The media rights renewal with ESPN has not been finalized, however, and Hancock said there was no specific timetable for those details to be ironed out. Reports have suggested that in a new deal ESPN would pay out roughly $1.3 billion per year in a six-year, exclusive package. ESPN would hold the right to reevaluate the contract in 2028 if a 14-team model is implemented, as well as if conferences engage in further realignment. 

The agreement would mark ESPN’s victory over rival Fox for control of top-shelf college football rights. At one time, it was expected that multiple networks would share in the CFP, and everyone from Amazon to Warner Bros. Discovery has expressed interest over the past several months. Another network could still procure playoff rights through a sub-licensing deal with ESPN, though the network will clearly keep the later-round games and championship for itself.

Hancock on Friday confirmed that the next two years of the playoff are guaranteed to stay at 12 teams. The upcoming two postseasons will look something like this: Five of the top-ranked conference champions will receive bids, guaranteeing at least one Group of 5 participant. The other seven spots will go to at-large teams. (Washington State and Oregon State, the lone members of the new Pac-12, will only be able to qualify for at-large bids.) Revenue distribution will remain similar to the current model, though it will be based on school rather than conference so that larger conferences don’t have to split the same amount of money among more schools. ESPN will broadcast the first round of the playoff, which will consist of four on-campus games.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.
Feb 12, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Sweden goalie Linus Ullmark (35) warms-up before a game against Team Canada during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre.

NHL Says World Cup of Hockey to Return in 2028

The event will launch a schedule of biannual international competition.
Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Pat McAfee and Michael Cole and Wade Barrett celebrate with Jey Uso during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium.

WWE’s Michael Cole: Pat McAfee Made Work ‘Fun’

Cole is the host of “WWE’s Greatest Moments,” which debuts on A&E this Sunday.

Can NBC Capitalize on Super Bowl, Olympics, NBA Trio in 2026?

The network will offer an arguably unrivaled confluence of events next February.

Featured Today

Jan 9, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) checks Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena

‘Important’ 4 Nations Face-Off Can Be NHL’s All-Star Antidote

“The stars have been lobbying the league for an event like this.”
Brady and Mahomes
February 8, 2025

Chiefs Fatigue Is Real. It’s Nowhere Near Patriots Hate Yet

People who have covered both teams say the difference is stark.
Nov 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) celebrates with running back Saquon Barkley (26) after the Eagles defeat the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium.
February 7, 2025

How the Eagles Reinvented Championship Roster Construction

Philadelphia is one of the most innovative franchises in the NFL.
February 3, 2025

‘Ultimate Throwback’: The Unimpeachable Cool of Hartford Whalers Gear

Nostalgia and street cred have driven a consistent frenzy for merch.
NC State women's cross country

Trump Education Department Pulls Biden’s NIL Pay Equity Rule

The Biden Administration had issued the guidance in its final days.
Jan 20, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; Seats in Rotunda remain empty ahead of the Inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.
exclusive
February 7, 2025

The NCAA Appears No Closer to Getting Its Coveted Congressional Wish List

A flurry of college sports stakeholders spent the week on Capitol Hill.
Ashton Jeanty
February 12, 2025

Ashton Jeanty on the Group of 5’s NFL Superpower

To Jeanty, development and playing time can lead to “life-changing” NFL money.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
NCAA flag
February 6, 2025

NCAA Bans Trans Athletes From Women’s Sports After Trump Order

The move was expected after a Trump executive order.
The NCAA logo on the field in the closing second of the Anderson University inaugural football game with St. Andrew's University on Spero Financial Field at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium at Anderson University in Anderson, S.C. Saturday, September 7, 2024. Anderson won 51-14.
February 4, 2025

At Least 250 Athletes Have Opted Out of the House v. NCAA..

At least 250 opted out of the settlement, FOS can confirm.
Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon pressures Oregon State wide receiver Jeremiah Noga as the Oregon State Beavers host the Oregon Ducks Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.
exclusive
February 4, 2025

ESPN, Fox, CBS All Open to Media Rights Package With Pac-12

One source characterized media rights negotiations as “productive.”
Florida State Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton watches his team from the sideline. The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Virginia Tech Hokies for a menÕs basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
February 3, 2025

FSU’s Leonard Hamilton to Step Down As NIL Lawsuit Unfolds

Six former FSU men’s basketball players sued Hamilton in December.