College Football Playoff considering extreme move: a break from the NCAA, per report
Members of the College Football Playoff board of managers are talking about what could be a radical move in the sport's history, according to a report from ESPN.
The board began discussions on changing the way college football is governed and are considering breaking away from the NCAA entirely.
This is said to be the first such discussion from members of the College Football Playoff, "something the group should think more about" in the future.
Such talks are just the first step in what would likely be a long process defined by slow action and a lot of back and forth between the CFP and the NCAA.
And they signify the first known occasion when a group of people with the actual authority to do these actions has discussed the subject.
College Football Playoff officials are talking about breaking away from the NCAA
USA Today Images
Such a move would mark an extreme seismic shift in the 150-plus year history of college football and have a huge impact on what the sport looks like in the future.
The group also discussed what the College Football Playoff may look like in the future, as the CFP's current contract expires after the 2025 season.
Many within the system want to see the playoff expanded to 16 teams, and there's a chance the body will address the subject before 2025.
The board of managers is the highest decision-making authority in the College Football Playoff structure, which is comprised of three main bodies.
College Football Playoff structure
- Board of Managers
- Management Committee
- Selection Committee
Comprised of 11 university presidents and chancellors, the board of managers creates, inspects, and approves the annual budget and policy for the College Football Playoff. It hires and fires officers of the company in charge of the Playoff, and has overall complete and final authority.
The CFP management committee is responsible for running the company every day. It performs many of the tasks that the board does not, but answers to the board for everything. This group consists of 10 athletic conference commissioners and the Notre Dame athletic director.
As the name implies, the selection committee is responsible for choosing the Top 25 teams each week starting in the second half of the season. And, most crucially, in selecting the Top 4 teams eligible for the College Football Playoff semifinal games.
(h/t ESPN)