CFP board vote on 5 +7 design anticipated Feb

• Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Citizen WriterFeb 13, 2024, 07:00 PM ET

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  • College football press reporter
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of Indiana University

The College Football Playoff board of supervisors is anticipated to vote Feb. 20 on a design that would consist of the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked groups in the 12-team playoff this fall– a format change that could finally get the consentaneous backing it needs if the Pac-12 consents to it.The Pac-12, which has actually dwindled to Washington State and Oregon State after extreme conference adjustment, has actually been the lone holdout at the same time, requesting for time to arrange through its legal problems and talk about future CFP revenue with the board. Speaking openly to ESPN on Tuesday about the Pac-12’s role in the future format, Washington State president Kirk Schulz, who represents the conference on the board, said, “The expectation is to hold a vote.”

“I believe there’s a sense of, ‘We’re hearing you guys out like you asked for, the legal things has actually been largely settled in the Pac-12 Conference. It’s time to progress,'” stated Schulz, who spoke positively of the 5 +7 design but cautioned not to make any assumptions.Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, the chair of the CFP’s board of managers, informed ESPN he anticipates “we’ll have this problem dealt with one way or another.” “I believe it’s a forgone conclusion from people in your occupation, and where I sit and all across the college football landscape that there’s an anticipation we’ll have the 5 +7,”he said.”Simply a few months from now we’ll be playing the playoff. Everyone needs to understand what the format is. I hope we as a board can pertain to a resolution on this concern, for sure.”Editor’s Picks 2 Associated The 5 +7 model, which the commissioners proposed in reaction to the sweeping

adjustment that left college athletics with four”power” conferences, existed to the presidents and chancellors in November for their approval. It was gone over again at their yearly meeting before the championship game game in Houston. At the time, Schulz asked the board to delay any vote on future football formats until the Pac-12 was specific about” what it wished to request moving forward.”Next Tuesday’s virtual meeting will provide Schulz a chance to officially provide the league

‘s asked for revenue circulation in the next CFP contract. For the next two years, the rest of the CFP’s current 12-year agreement, Washington State and Oregon State will each continue to get the full Power 5 revenue circulation, which is$5-6 million per school. They are asking to continue to receive that amount in the next CFP contract, not knowing what their conference association will be.”We know we will get feedback,”Schulz stated,”and I likewise expect at that meeting there will be a

vote called as a separate product on the playoff format and us and Oregon State at that time will have concerned agreement on what our position will be, and we’ll be prepared to vote at that time.”While Schulz declined to say how the league might vote, he said he totally understands that the 5 +7

design will benefit Washington State and Oregon State more than the initial 6 +6 design since neither school can qualify for an automated quote as a conference champ in each of the next 2 seasons. The Pac-12 and Mountain West have agreed to a short-lived scheduling partnership in which Oregon State and Washington State will play at least six MWC opponents in 2024.”For our two schools in the Pac-12 as it’s presently configured, there is no question that five-seven, with 7 at-larges, is better than 6 at-larges,”Schulz said.” That becomes part of the conversation we’re having within the conference footprint– or the 2 schools– is that very point. There’s no concern our football coaches are going to want to complete for among those seven slots, and 7 is going to be much better than 6.” Schulz said he views the earnings distribution as a separate conversation from the 5 +7 model, and he’s not attempting to use one to affect the

other. “We’ve got to be a good colleague in the college football world,”he stated.”We asked for the opportunity to have a hearing on [

profits circulation], that was approved. We have to be really cautious about saying,’ If you do not give us precisely what we have actually requested, we’re going to hold up some other things.’ The decision has to be one made by us and Oregon State and we’re still going through that decision-making procedure leading up to that conference next week. There’s no presumption to be made that we need to get X to get Y, either way.”According to the Pac-12’s proposal, which Schulz showed ESPN, Oregon State and Washington State are requesting”a circulation share and ballot rights equal to the lowest per

school pro rata share of the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, or SEC conference’s circulation, regardless of how those four conferences in fact disperse CFP distributions to their members.” The request would be thought about “null and void if the Pac-12 dissolves, WSU and OSU sign up with one of the aforementioned conferences, or the right is waived.””We were in a game of musical chairs and the music stopped and we had 2 schools standing,” Schulz stated.”We have actually invested and been thought about autonomy five school and conference for decades. We simply do not believe that due to the fact that of the musical chairs that the two remaining schools in the Pac-12 should be penalized.” Keenum stated none of the conferences understand yet what the profits circulation will remain in the next contract.” We’ve got to be an excellent colleague in the college football world. We asked for the chance to have a hearing on [profits distribution], that was granted.

We have to be really careful about saying,’If you don’t give us exactly what we’ve asked for, we’re gon na hold up some other things. ‘The choice has to be one made by us and Oregon State and we’re still going through that decision-making process leading up to that meeting next week. There’s no assumption to be made that we have to get X to get Y, in either case.” Washington State president Kirk Schulz” None people do,”he said.”There’s a lot of work

that’s going to need to require on behalf of our commissioners and others to bring some recommendations to the board. They’re not there. We’re not there. I hear what he’s stating, but I don’t know you dedicate to a school.”Presidents and chancellors representing each of the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame have the ultimate authority over the playoff. Keenum informed reporters last month he was positive the 5 +7 design would eventually be authorized, but Schulz said none of his peers put any unnecessary pressure on him. “Nobody’s called me and madly or anything like that, “Schulz said. “I think I value the reality that people stated,’ OK, we understand you guys have been through hell for the last six months on everything. Take your time to be prepared, but this can’t last for months.’ Therefore I value that. “One option the Pac-12 is thinking about for its future is a reverse merger with the MWC, which would include all of the teams from that league into the Pac-12 without any exit fee. Schulz said if that were to occur, he’s uncertain how the CFP would see the league, which would basically be a Group of 5 conference with a Power 5 label.”That would be an intriguing debate on where an entity like that would exist in the hierarchy,”he said.”Clearly, we would argue

that it must still be considered an autonomy 5 conference. I can see other individuals saying it should not be considered that. That’s an argument for a various day that will definitely be dynamic and if that concerns take place an awful lot of contentious discussion.”Schulz stated the space between the Big 10, SEC and everyone else”is just getting broader,”however that also makes those 2 conferences finest placed to”actually influence decision-making.”

The Big 10 and SEC just recently partnered to form an advisory group, and their commissioners, Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey, have actually been carefully lined up on weighty issues impacting the future of collegiate

athletics.” We require really excellent, strong collaborative leadership, “Schulz said.”I’m most likely glass more half complete on this than I am half empty. There’s constantly some worry if I’m not because space, am I being neglected– by anyone,

not simply me or the Pac-12– however is somebody else going to be making choices that have a huge effect on me? But I think today we need those two conferences to roll up their sleeves and I’m going to assume they’re going to wish to work with everybody else. I’m going to have the advantage of the doubt now. Let’s see what those two conferences interacting develop.”