The College Football Playoff may go through another round of reformatting following a public outcry over an unfair advantage given to the Big 12 and SEC in the current playoff structure.
The second expanded College Football Playoff bracket will not take effect until 2026. However, if no change is happening in how the brackets are structured within the next 34 months, the Big 12 and SEC are bound to occupy more than half of the playing field, each getting four automatic qualifiers in a 14-team playoff format.
REPORT: The College Football Playoff is weighing a new revenue model favoring the Big Ten & SEC, per @RossDellenger.
The Big Ten and SEC are reportedly seeking to split 58% of the base revenue, while the Big 12 and ACC would be given 32% to share, leaving 10% for Notre Dame and… pic.twitter.com/hmfjmxIrT9
— On3 (@On3sports) March 8, 2024
Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported that the College Football Playoff Management Committee is leaning towards adopting a “3-3-2-2-1” model in which the Big 12 and SEC will be receiving three automatic berths, the ACC and Big 12 getting two each, the Mid Majors or the Group of Five securing a playoff bid berths with three at large spots.
“Coming out of the first College Football Playoff Management Committee meeting, it seemed as if a “3-3-2-2-1” model was gaining the most traction; that would have the Big Ten and SEC receiving three AQs, the ACC and Big 12 getting two each and the Group of Five being guaranteed a playoff bid with three at-large spots remaining,” Dodd writes.
Revenue distribution is another element the committee is considering before making a final revision on the expanded CFP brackets. According to reports by Yahoo Sports, the Big Ten and SEC will pocket 58% of the total CFP income, while the ACC and Big 12 share around $31 million. The remaining 10% would be split between Notre Dame and the Group of Five leagues.
The CFP is undergoing changes that prioritize revenue and the influence of the SEC, Big Ten ????
The focus is on financial implications rather than playoff format decisions.
— Sports Business Journal (@SBJ) March 8, 2024
Sources close to the situation reported that the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick have until mid-to-late March to decide on a system for 2026 and beyond. If a 12-team structure had been in effect for the 2023 season, the Big Ten and SEC together would have secured nine berths (75%) including the most recent round of league realignment.
After spending their early years in the Sun Belt Conference, the UCF jumped to the Big 10 debut in 2023. The Knights finished with a 3-6 conference record and 6-7 overall in their maiden season in the new league.
