The deadline for College Football Playoff expansion talks will likely be pushed back. The original deadline was set for Dec 1st. It appears the heavyweight conferences need more time to deliberate about expanding the current four-team format.
Power Brokers Still Fighting Over Format
The Big Ten and SEC remain “miles apart” on how to structure an expanded playoff, according to sources close to the negotiations. This shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s watched these conferences gobble up TV contracts and realignment moves over the past two years.
The sticking point? Automatic bids versus at-large spots. The SEC wants maximum flexibility to get multiple teams in, while the Big Ten is pushing for guaranteed conference champion slots that would benefit their expanded 18-team league.
Money Talks, Everything Else Walks
ESPN’s current contract runs through 2026, but the real negotiation is about who controls the expanded format’s revenue distribution. The playoff generated $470 million in the 2021-22 cycle, and that number could double with expansion.
Neither conference wants to give the other a structural advantage in a system that could be worth over $1 billion annually by 2030.
What’s Next
Expect the deadline to slide into early 2024. The current four-team format stays intact through 2025, giving these power brokers plenty of time to carve up the biggest pie in college sports.
