USATSI
The 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame finalized a new $1.3 billion television contract for the College Football Playoff with ESPN on Friday that will go into effect in the 2026 season, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. While the new TV deal was locked down as the conferences and Notre Dame agreed on a revenue distribution model, the parties involved signed a memorandum of understanding that guarantees the field will be comprised of at least 12 teams in 2026 with the option to expand to 14 at a later date. The expectation is the CFP field will feature 14 teams come the 2026 college football season.
The new contract is expected to pay the Big Ten and SEC 29% of the upcoming contract, sources told Dodd, which works out to approximately $22 million per school. The ACC will receive 17% ($13-14 million per school) and the Big 12 will sit around 15% ($12 million per school). The numbers represent a raise across the board as all Power Five institutions receive approximately $5 million per school in the previous contract.
Among the key next steps for CFP stakeholders will be finalizing the format. While the playoff is expanding from four to 12 teams for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the final years of the current contract, the format for 2026 and beyond has been a source of debate. One proposed 14-team model would have guaranteed byes for the champions from the Big Ten and SEC. That proposal quickly lost steam, however, amid significant pushback.
With those two conferences set to contain 34 of college football’s top brands beginning in 2024 amid expansion, they have gained outsized influence in the conversations. Still, the group’s ability to reach a financial deal viewed as mutually agreeable for all 10 FBS conferences is a sign that perhaps an agreement can be struck with regards to format in the near future. The Big Ten and SEC will have much of the control over finalizing the new format, according to ESPN.
The Group of Five will split 9% of the contract, but the number may not be split evenly among the teams and five conferences. The independent schools will split 1%, while Notre Dame will get the bulk at around $12 million.
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