CFP authorities discussing 14-team playoff in 2026

Pete Thamel Heather Dinich Close Heather Dinich ESPN Senior Citizen Writer College football press reporter Signed up with ESPN.com in 2007 Graduate of Indiana University Feb 21, 2024, 08:39 PM ET The idea of a 14-team College Football Playoff starting in the 2026 season was discussed

season with a 12-team playoff is set to begin.CFP executive director Bill Hancock acknowledged the idea was gone over however declined to offer particular details, saying,”There’s work still to be done.”With CFP officials pushing to finalize a deal to consummate a tv contract for the next eight years, 3 remaining issues remain unsettled: gain access to, distribution of money and governance. Hancock stated the issues need to be solved within the next month.The CFP management committee, which is comprised of the commissioners and incoming Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, met Wednesday and talked about possibly broadening the field after the present agreement goes out following the 2025 season.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated According to ESPN sources, the most dominant discussion of a brand-new design revolved around a 14-team playoff, and CFP leaders left Wednesday’s meeting feeling there was momentum. The bump from 12 to 14 groups, as opposed to 16, would mostly resolve the problem of

gain access to rather than finances.Officials will still require to discuss how a 14-team playoff would split up automatic qualifiers– for example, could the Big Ten and SEC get as many as 4 automated bids? Those early discussions were had Wednesday, with no conclusive conclusions.Everything, naturally, boils down to finances. The Big Ten and SEC have actually made it clear the next agreement will be more economically beneficial than the present one, where 80%of the money is split evenly among the Power 5 leagues. Now there’s four power conferences, and the Big Ten and SEC have a combined 34 teams.While authorities didn’t dive too deep into monetary concerns at Wednesday

‘s meeting, Hancock stated there was” more ground-level, in-depth conversation than we have actually been able to have.””I think everybody rolled up their sleeves and just said, ‘We need to get to work and share what’s on our mind,’and they all did,”he said.There has been a push, particularly from the Big 10, for an increase in automated qualifiers for the CFP. Huge Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has made clear that he values the regular season and believes that increasing automated qualifier areas could assure that late season games have higher

stakes.” We desire fans to believe that you understand a game in the second week of November, even if you’ve already lost 2 or 3 games, still has a great deal of

value, “Petitti told ESPN last week.”That’s the objective.”A 14-team playoff would likely suggest that the highest-ranked conference champs wind up with a bye, which would incentivize those league title games. From there, the format would play out like the 12-team playoff that’s anticipated to make its debut this season.ESPN reported earlier this month that Petitti went over larger formats for the CFP in a meeting this fall, according to sources. The thinking is simple math– his league will have 18 teams beginning next season with the addition of

USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. The SEC will have 16 groups with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas.”Today included prolonged and in-depth conversations about the future of the CFP– 2026 and beyond, “ACC commissioner Jim Phillips informed ESPN.” Overall, it was a full

day of candid discussions that consisted of both positive aspects as well as tough distinctions that require further collaboration. “Three locations in specific were attended to– governance, access/format and profits distribution. All voices were heard, and we jointly agreed to move on together as there is more work to be done.

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