Sunday September 24, 2023
The Best Employers in Sports Survey is Now Open!

The Most Pivotal Factor In the College Football Playoff’s Future

  • On Wednesday, the CFP Board of Managers will meet to discuss the future of the event.
  • The fate of George Kliavkoff and the Pac-12 could dictate the future of the playoff’s format and revenue distribution.
Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff speaks during Pac-12 Media Day at Resorts World Las Vegas.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Front Office Sports Today

How Rupert Murdoch Changed Sports Media Forever

As he steps down as chair of Fox and News Corp., we discuss his monumental and ongoing impact.
Listen Now
September 22, 2023 | Podcast
Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

Almost exactly a year after the College Football Playoff announced it had finally agreed to expand to 12 teams in 2024, FBS commissioners will reconsider that format altogether on Wednesday in Dallas. 

As always, George Kliavkoff will be in attendance to represent the Pac-12, Front Office Sports confirmed.

But the most immediate problem is the role of Kliavkoff himself in the CFP Board of Managers — the board that oversees the CFP’s granular details. Until the Pac-12 leftovers secure future homes, and Kliavkoff’s status as an FBS commissioner is decided, those conversations will be little more than game theory.

“I think it is wise for us to take a step back and reconsider what the [playoff] format might look like, given these changed circumstances,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey previously said on “The Paul Finebaum Show.” 

“Right now, we still have 10 FBS conferences, but there are obviously questions on whether or not that will remain. And yeah, that could create a thought in my mind and in others’ of some level of adjustment being made.”

Those decisions will be made by the CFP Board of Managers, compriThe sed of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick.

While a committee of FBS university presidents ultimately votes on major issues like budgets and the CFP format, it’s up to the commissioners to hammer out the CFP’s more granular details.

But it’s hard to imagine Kliavkoff could — or should — get a vote in any CFP dealings. He’s not only heading up a near-defunct conference, but also has been shunned from leading conversations about the Pac-12 leftovers. (After meeting with Mountain West officials, one Washington State administrator reportedly said they wished their commissioner was Gloria Nevarez.)

Without Kliavkoff, the board would have 10 voting members — making it potentially inoperable without an 11th, and potentially tie-breaking, vote. The board itself would likely have to either add or subtract from its remaining nine.

Once Kliavkoff’s fate is decided, the board will turn to other pressing matters: who gets into the playoff, and how much they get paid. 

Reports have suggested the conversation will continue around a 12-team format (though Sankey has said that he wouldn’t mind an eight-team playoff.) 

The CFP previously decided to have a six-and-six format: one bid for each of the top-six-ranked conference champions, and one bid for the remaining top six overall. That structure assumes each Power 5 champion would get a spot, as well as at least one Group of Five school. 

Without the Pac-12, commissioners could be in favor of a five-and-seven structure instead, according to multiple reports. One Group of Five school would still get a guaranteed spot alongside champions from the “Power 4.”(Sankey would be fine with 12 at-large bids.)

The commissioners would have to reexamine the revenue distribution — already a subject of debate before the Pac-12 disintegrated. After all, it wouldn’t be a debate about the structure of college football without a conversation about money.

The current structure awards a much more favorable amount to Power 5 conferences because they have deals with New Year’s Six bowls. Group of 5 conferences get the leftovers.

In 2023, each Power 5 conference received $79.4 million, according to the CFP. Group of 5 conferences received a total of $103 million — split five ways, that’s only about $20 million per conference. The money is then funneled down to schools.

Conferences had two main gripes with this structure. Group of 5 conferences wanted more distribution, and Power 5 conferences with incoming members wanted to make sure shares weren’t diluted from splitting CFP revenue more ways. 

Now, these issues will become even trickier. Will there still be a weighted distribution for the “Power 4?” What will the split look like now that multiple conferences will have 14 members or more? If a Group of 5 conference like the Mountain West can assert itself as the “new Pac-12,” will it be considered a Power conference?

Nevarez called it a “chicken and egg” situation in a previous interview with FOS. Though the Power 5 designation comes from the CFP’s revenue distribution and voting structure.

Linkedin
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Big-12

Texas, Oklahoma's Big 12 Exit Could Have Cost $60M More

The school's move to the SEC is costing about $100 million.
Tickets for Colorado’s upcoming road game against Oregon are more expensive than 14 of 16 Week 3 NFL matchups.

Deion Sanders' Impact Makes Tickets Pricier Than NFL Games

Colorado-Oregon tickets are pricier than most Week 3 NFL matchups.
Renderings of the University of Virginia's new proposed athletic facilities.

Virginia Joins The College Facilities Arms Race

UVA plans to upgrade football and Olympic sports facilities.
Deion Sanders

Colorado's Epic Victory Sets New ESPN Prime Time Viewership Record

Coach Prime Deion Sanders delivered in prime time on ESPN.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

How Rupert Murdoch Changed Sports Media Forever

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

Deion Sanders with The Rock on ESPN's "College GameDay."

Deion Sanders Generated $45M In Earned Media For Colorado

From Sept.1-22, Sanders generated $45.7M for the public university.
September 23, 2023

Up Next For College Football Playoffs: More Change, Money, And ... Streaming?

Many changes are coming to the CFP when it expands to 12 teams.
September 22, 2023

Warriors Stake Reportedly Up For Sale at $7B Valuation

A 10% stake in the franchise could cost $700 million.
September 22, 2023

Jaguars Threaten Move Without $1B From Jacksonville Taxpayers

The Jagaurs are hoping to renovate TIAA Bank Field for $2 billion.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Chicago Cubs
Chicago
Fanatics
New York
Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, Inc.
USA - Multiple Locations
Sponsored

How Daktronics Helps Elite Athletic Programs Secure Top Talent

How colleges are utilizing Daktronics' displays to elevate recruiting.
Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker speaks at post game press conference after 31-7 win over Central Michigan at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
September 19, 2023

Mel Tucker Firing Would Prevent $80M Buyout on Historic Contract

Tucker was suspended after a report of alleged sexual harassment.
SMU has raised $100 million from donors before it forgoes media rights payments for the first nine years of its ACC tenure.
September 18, 2023

SMU Raises $100M for ACC Move as Basketball, Football Sales Surge

SMU has raised $100 million ahead of its 2024 move to the ACC.
September 17, 2023

Coach Prime, Unbeaten Colorado Keep Larger-Than-Life Hype Going

Boulder was the epicenter of college football over the weekend.
September 17, 2023

Learfield Recapitalization Extends Private Equity Presence In College Sports

Deal advances private equity's presence in college sports
September 14, 2023

Dartmouth Men’s Basketball Players File Petition to Unionize

There are two other similar NLRB cases pending.
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker looks on after a touchdown against Central Michigan during the second half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
September 12, 2023

Michigan State Coach Denies Allegations Amid Unpaid Suspension

In his rebuttal, Mel Tucker called an upcoming hearing a “sham.”
Pac-12
September 11, 2023

Washington State, Oregon State Take Small Step Toward Saving the Pac-12

A small victory for the two remaining schools in the conference.