CFP expanding to 24 teams, big conference title games eliminated in $1.7 billion ESPN deal
The CFP is only getting bigger.ESPN agreed to a five-year deal with the postseason tournament valued at about $1.7 billion that will expand the field to 24 teams starting in 2027, ESPN reported Monday.It’s a move that keeps the Worldwide Leader as the CFP’s broadcast partner and will also be rid of the Power 4 (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12) conference championship games.“ESPN and the College Football Playoff have worked collaboratively for more than a decade to make the CFP one of the marquee events in all of sports, and we remain firmly committed to elevating it in its new, expanded 24-team format,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.
“We value the trust that the CFP has placed in us as its exclusive media partner, and our continued presentation of this premier championship further solidifies ESPN as the home of college football and the destination for college sports for years to come.”Sources informed ESPN that the average additional payment from the network for the expanded playoff format is $345 million annually for the next five years, in addition to the average of $1.3 billion annually that it already is paying over that time span.The 24-team field will involve 19 at-large bids, the Power 4 conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team.The CFP selection committee plans to continue to rank its top 25 teams with inclusion in mind.It’s also considering expanding its weekly rankings to 30 teams to reveal which programs are on the bubble.
“Opening the Playoff to more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases across the country is great for college football,” Mark Keenum, chair of the CFP board of managers, said in a statement.“We look forward to seeing this expanded format come to life next season.”As far as the format of the playoff, the top eight teams will have a first-round bye while the first two rounds of matchups will be played at the campus belonging to the higher seed.
The college football regular se...