REPORT: Approval of New 14-Team CFP Model Expected in Next 24 Hours
According to reports from ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich, the College Football Playoff is expected to expand to a 14-team format beginning in 2026 as the FBS conference officials are pushing to finalize a new CFP contract by Friday.
A combined report from ESPN states that “multiple sources told ESPN on Thursday that each league and Notre Dame are expected to sign a legal agreement by midday on Friday.”
The new agreement, which has been discussed heavily in recent weeks, will widen the financial gap between the Big Ten and SEC versus everyone else. Collectively known as the “Power Two,” the Big Ten and SEC have been flexing their muscles during the negotiation process.
In recent reports from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the Power Two are set to make north of $700M annually, splitting 58% of the CFP’s total revenue. Meanwhile, the Big 12 and ACC will split around 32% of the revenue (~$400M each), and another 15% will go to Notre Dame and the Group of Five schools.
According to ESPN’s report, the numbers are a little more clear on a school-to-school basis, with schools in each conference getting paid (roughly) as follows:
(Courtesy of ESPN)
- SEC: $21M+
- Big Ten: $21M+
- ACC: $13M+
- Big 12: $12M+
- Notre Dame: $12M+
- Group of Five: $1.8M+
An interesting note on the new revenue-sharing model is that there will no longer be a participation bonus for teams in FBS conferences. However, independent schools (i.e., Notre Dame) will have financial incentives for reaching the CFP in the new 14-team model. This is a detail that ESPN says was “frustrating to some Group of Five leaders.
If and when the 10 FBS conferences finalize the agreement on Friday, they’ll then transition to finalizing the long-awaited ESPN deal, worth an average of $1.3 billion per year over a six-year extension with the Playoff. The deal, which is expected to go through, will include the final two years of the current contract and a six-year extension for the new-look 14-team format.
ESPN notes in its report that the details of the 14-team playoff field will not be formally determined until after the TV deal is finalized. For now, we can expect the 12-team playoff to have five auto-bids and seven at-large bids. While Yahoo Sports reported on Wednesday that a 5+9 14-team model that mirrors the 12-team format is gaining traction, ESPN says that there’s expected to be an ongoing discussion on what is “expected to be a 14-team field.”
