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ESPN 'socializing' a 16-team CFP format with four play-in games
Awful Announcing • • general
Key Points:
- College Football Playoff (CFP) stakeholders are meeting virtually to discuss expansion options, with ESPN proposing a new 20-team format featuring 16 teams in the main draw and four play-in games for seeds 13-16.
- ESPN shared this format with some conference executives, but it is not officially on the agenda for the current meeting; the Big Ten has already expressed strong opposition, favoring a 24-team expansion instead.
- The proposed 20-team format would allow conference championship games to remain part of the schedule, benefiting ESPN, which broadcasts most of those games, and could let ESPN retain exclusive rights up to 16 teams, limiting other networks' access.
- The Big Ten and SEC must reach an agreement on any CFP expansion, or the current 12-team format will likely continue; the CFP committee aims to finalize changes by December but has shown flexibility on the deadline before.
- Monday’s meeting will focus on television implications of expansion, including handling NFL conflicts, the Army-Navy game, and the potential impact on conference championships, with formal decisions expected later in the year.
