Positive update on College Football Playoff expansion
College Football Playoff expansion may be back on the table after all.
Talks ended this offseason, seemingly until after the 2025 season, but now CFP board of managers chairman Mark Keenum says the working group could agree on a new format by next summer, according to Sports Illustrated.
“I hope we can get something done within a year,” Keenum told SI.
Back in February, the College Football Playoff voted against expansion, despite it appearing that everyone involved in the decision was on board.
Then, the SEC voted to add Texas and Oklahoma. That changed everything, destroying what seemed like a consensus to expand the playoff to 12 teams.
“It was frustrating,” Keenum told SI. “The same people who wanted expansion originally voted against (the proposal).”
Those "same people" are the Big Ten, ACC, and Pac-12, all of whom voted against expansion, which needs a unanimous vote to go ahead.
Why did the vote fail? There are several reported reasons, including
- inability to accommodate the Pac-12 relationship with the Rose Bowl, which wants to maintain its traditional Jan. 1 date and media rights,
- protracted disagreements over distribution of future revenue
- disputes over whether Power 5 conference champions should get automatic bids to an expanded playoff — the Big Ten is in favor, while the others are not
As of right now, Keenum estimated that 10 of the 11 members of the College Football Playoff are in favor of expansion.
When the group meets again, the belief is that the negotiations will begin at 12 teams.
RELATED: How every College Football Playoff would look with 12 teams