The College Football Playoff is inching closer to finalizing an agreement for its future.
ACC and Big 12 presidents voted to authorize the commissioner to adopt a future framework related to the new CFP, including new revenue models and concepts for a playoff format, all of which are part of the new contract with ESPN. become part of. People with knowledge of the discussions spoke to Yahoo Sports on condition of anonymity.
Both leagues were thought to be the most resistant to a deal. Their presidential vote is seen as a major hurdle to reaching an agreement. The vote from the Big 12 and ACC was unanimous, sources told Yahoo Sports.
The CFP Board of Management, 10 FBS conference commissioners, and Notre Dame's athletic director are scheduled to meet over the next few days to discuss the long and dramatic march toward the future of the playoffs starting in 2026. You should get some sort of final result. The conference and Notre Dame will be asked whether to commit to the new CFP framework.
Pending approval by each conference president's board, all 10 conferences are expected to commit to a new revenue-sharing model, most notably parameters regarding the playoff format, and a new governance structure. Multiple sources tell Yahoo Sports that Notre Dame supports the framework.
As detailed in a Yahoo Sports article last Friday, the proposed new revenue-sharing model is heavily weighted toward the Big Ten and SEC, according to people briefed on the matter.
Under the previous structure, the five major conferences would split 80% of CFP's $460 million in revenue roughly evenly. His new contract with ESPN is expected to be worth $1.3 billion annually starting in 2026.
Under proposals made with administrators over the past 10 days, the Big Ten and SEC would collectively earn about 58% of CFP's base distributions. This number would significantly exceed the combined ACC and Big 12 distribution, which is expected to be about 32%. The remaining amount (approximately 10%) will be split between Notre Dame and 5 teams in the Group of 64.
The difference in distribution between the two conferences, the SEC/Big Ten and ACC/Big 12, could exceed $300 million. The Power Two is expected to earn a total of more than $700 million, far more than the ACC and Big 12's roughly $400 million. Approximately $115 million will be allocated to Group 5.
The CFP is expected to generate three times as much revenue as the four-team version, so no school's revenue will decrease. Major conference schools currently receive approximately $6 million in distributions from the CFP. Annual distributions for SEC and Big Ten schools would triple, if not quadruple, to the low $20 million range. The Big 12 and ACC are expected to double their previous numbers. Notre Dame is expected to receive its own annual distribution, which is expected to be a significant increase from its current distribution.
The latest proposal does not foresee the concept of participatory sharing as part of the new revenue model, a change leaders made to the original proposal handed out last week. The current model requires participating teams to earn money by qualifying and advancing through the field.
CFP's base revenue sharing model is primarily based on its historical playoff success over the past decade. Considering future realignment moves, the SEC and Big Ten will account for 72.5% of CFP participants. Factoring in Oklahoma State and Texas, the SEC leads all conferences with a four-team field of 17 games played. Next, the Big Ten will have 12 schools, considering the four new schools. The ACC (seven teams) and Big 12 (two teams) follow.
The agreement is expected to include a final “review” clause in 2028 that will see the revenue allocation and format reevaluated. Look-in provisions may be triggered early by rescheduling the meeting.
The format of the playoffs has not yet been determined, but the deal will include some guaranteed protections related to the format. The champions of the four major conferences and the highest-ranking Group of 5 champions earn automatic berths to the playoffs. Notre Dame is expected to put in place its own protections related to the format.
Other details of the scheme will be finalized after the leagues reach agreement with ESPN on their television contracts, which run through the 2031 playoffs, the network said in its own report. The format for 2024 and 2025 is set up as a 5+7 12-team model, with the highest-ranked five teams receiving automatic spots and the next-highest ranked team receiving his seven at-large spots. given.
The SEC and Big Ten are expected to have significant weight in determining future formats, as well as a large share of revenue. Various 14-team formats continue to circulate throughout the industry.
The 5+9 14 team model is attracting particular attention. This format mirrors the current 5+7 12 team format, but features two additional at-large spots. Presumably, that model would award automatic berths to the conference's top five champions.
The possibility of multiple automatic qualifiers in individual leagues still exists, including three automatic qualifiers each for the SEC and Big Ten, two each for the ACC and Big 12, and the highest-ranked Group of Five programs. includes a format that grants one automatic qualifier. at-large spot — 3-3-2-2-1+3 model.
A 2-2-1-1-1+7 model is also being considered. This gives seven at-large slots, two each for the SEC and Big Ten, one each for the ACC and Big 12, and one for the highest-ranking Group of 5.
As Yahoo Sports reported Friday, the idea that the Big Ten and SEC would hold exclusive rights to two first-round byes has been put on hold after enough backlash.
Money is more important than any form.
Revenue matters more than ever. Major conferences and their members are preparing for future athlete compensation models. This concept requires securing extra cash flow for players, whether through employment, revenue sharing or collective bargaining.
The league is also at risk of incurring billions of dollars in retroactive NIL payments and television distribution as a result of several ongoing antitrust lawsuits.
