Overview
- The College Football Playoff said it is continuing confidential discussions with ESPN after the exclusive 30-day negotiating window expired on Friday, Oct. 9, and described the earlier dialogue as constructive.
- Officials have not disclosed any financial terms or a timeline for a decision, and the CFP says further updates will be provided only when appropriate.
- For a 24-team field to begin in 2027, the Big Ten and SEC must approve a plan by Dec. 1, and the CFP can seek other media partners if no deal with ESPN materializes.
- A move to 24 teams would likely remove four conference championship games and require starting the regular season earlier and ending around Thanksgiving to fit the expanded schedule.
- The current system is a 12-team playoff with the 2027 title game set for Jan. 25 in Las Vegas, and conferences and schools are pressing for clear revenue-replacement terms because lost championship-game income could total hundreds of millions of dollars.