CFP racks talk of modifications to 12-team format

• Heather Dinich, ESPN

  • Senior Citizen WriterSep 27, 2023, 03:01 PM ET Close College football press reporter
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2007
  • Graduate of Indiana University

ROSEMONT, Ill.– The College Football Playoff management committee shelved any talk of format changes to the broadened 12-team field that will begin next season, deciding rather to continue to wait to see what the future of the gutted Pac-12 will appear like, CFP executive director Costs Hancock said Wednesday.Following another summer season of sweeping conference realignment, just Washington State and Oregon State will be delegated determine the future of the Pac-12 in 2024 and beyond. The NCAA provides conferences a two-year grace duration when they no longer meet subscription requirements before changes are required, however the concept of a two-team league competing in the CFP has its decision-makers in a holding pattern on the future format.Hancock, who has actually spent five decades in college athletics, called it”the most unthinkable” scenario.”One thing that happened that I never ever would’ve dreamed would ever occur, occurred, “Hancock said.

“… It’s totally weird and everybody understands it.”Editor’s Picks 1 Related Hancock also said that even if there’s never been a two-team conference”doesn’t mean there can’t be.”He would not speculate on whether

the CFP would still acknowledge the winner of a two-team league.Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff, who attended the meetings but didn’t talk to press reporters, took part in votes”on whatever pertinent to this season,”Hancock stated.

There’s still a possibility the Mountain West schools combine with the Pac-12 to try to benefit from its brand and possible assets, but that opens the controversial and subjective concern of whether the Pac-12 would still be considered a Power 5 conference, which gets the benefit of 80 %of the CFP income. The Group of 5 schools receive 20 %. According to the NCAA laws, an FBS conference requires a minimum of eight complete FBS members that satisfy all bowl neighborhood requirements. A conference’s status as an autonomy conference is identified by the Department I board of directors.Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said the CFP’s management committee hasn’t discussed the potential FBS status of the Pac-12– with or without a Mountain West merger.”We have not invested any time on it, “Swarbrick said.The bulk of the two-day conferences at the Big 10 head office, Swarbrick stated, were invested listening to possible television partners. ESPN is presently the sole rights holder through the present 12-year deal, which ends following the 2025 season, and it has initially rights to the brand-new first-round games, which will be hung on schools. The basic agreement among the CFP leaders, though, is to have several broadcast partners when the next contract begins.Hancock said five television business sent executives to make presentations, and”four or five others have revealed interest, which streaming is a choice.”Streaming includes another component,”Hancock said. “We are not averse to streaming some of the games. I wouldn’t anticipate us to stream all of them, however today absolutely nothing’s off the table.

“The concern is if they will alter the format once again before the end of this contract.There have been discussions among the commissioners independently over altering the currently concurred upon

design of 6 +6, which rewards the six highest-ranked conference champs plus the next 6 highest-ranked teams.If the Pac-12 dissolves, or loses its status as a Power 5 conference, keeping a 6 +6 model for the next 2

years would permit guaranteed access for 2 Group of 5 champions.

The current design was agreed upon prior to realignment decimated the Pac-12. If the Pac-12 folds, sources have actually shown to ESPN there is a strong preference to alter the model to 5 +7, meaning the 5 highest-ranked conference

champions plus the next 7 highest-ranked teams.For the format to change in time for the 2024 season, however, it would have to be unanimous, and American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco on Wednesday stated he will presently vote versus altering the present contract. “[ I] will vote 6-6 for now,” Aresco stated.” If a nuanced proposition that is various should develop, I would talk to my conference membership.”While the format remains a question, the group pressed on with solidifying other information, such as approving the start of searching for the next host cities following Houston, Atlanta and Miami.There are still other more instant details to determine, but Swarbrick said there’s no concern the CFP will be

ready to implement the 12-team field in time for the start of the 2024 season. “We’re on track to carry out two years early, which is fantastic,” Swarbrick stated.”Yeah, there are information

to be worked out. A few of them are painstakingly small details and others are big information, however we’re on track. No one believes we’re not going to expand in [years] 11 and 12.

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