An agreement was reached on Friday by the nine Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame to extend the College Football Playoff (CFP) through the 2031 season. This six-year deal includes a revenue-sharing plan and paves the way for finalizing a media rights agreement.
While the format for the CFP beyond 2025 is not set in stone, the agreement guarantees a minimum 12-team field and ensures that five conferences will have annual access to the playoff until 2031. The current season will see an expansion from four teams to 12, with the top five conference champions and seven at-large selections comprising the field.
There is no immediate plan to increase the number of teams in the CFP after the current ESPN contract expires in 2025. The focus now is on evaluating the 12-team model after the upcoming season before making any decisions on potential format changes.
The Pac-12 did not sign the agreement due to uncertainties beyond 2025, as the conference is set to operate with only two teams next season. A recent rule stipulates that a conference must have at least eight teams to be eligible for playoff access.
The CFP has a new media rights agreement with ESPN worth $7.8 billion, extending through 2031. This deal was contingent on conference participation in the playoff and a revenue-sharing plan, with negotiations ongoing to finalize details.
While specific revenue-sharing details were not disclosed, it is known that the SEC and Big Ten will receive over 50% of the distributed revenue, with the ACC and Big 12 getting around 30% combined, and the Group of Five Conferences and Notre Dame receiving the remainder.
Executive Director Bill Hancock emphasized the importance of this agreement, ensuring fans will continue to enjoy a postseason football tournament featuring the best teams in the country competing for the national championship.
