College Football Playoff expansion discussions focus on media rights implications

On August 10, CFP administrators convened to explore expansion options for the College Football Playoff (CFP). The talks included media rights implications, scheduling, revenue projections, and conflicts with the NFL. ESPN proposed a 16-team playoff with four play-in games, while the Big Ten advocates for a 24-team format. The differing expansion desires reflect the alignment of major conferences with their respective networks, as ESPN holds exclusive CFP rights and seeks to retain them without sharing with other broadcasters. The next steps revolve around determining rights provisions should the CFP expand beyond certain team thresholds.

• 2:00 PMYahoo Sports — The media rights permutations of College Football Playoff expansion, explained