Historic college football program set to receive $23 million after College Football Playoff

A combination of conference policy and a unique travel situation made a lucrative payday for one program.

One CFP squad is set for a massive payday. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

College football success is lucrative. Aside from those surprising but documentable trends of increased enrollment, there's the payout from the College Football Playoff. But one team is having an especially lucrative $23 million payday due to unique circumstances.

For most programs, the CFP revenues go into a conference-wide pot and are then divided among the league members. For instance, the SEC directs specific payouts for the qualifying team(s) and then splits the remainder. But one league doesn't have that policy and that creates a windfall for one program.

The ACC doesn't enforce a league split, so the $20 million that Miami receives for reaching the College Football Playoff title game goes entirely to Miami. But there's another bonus. Reaching the CFP title game qualifies the team in question for a $3 million travel bonus.

Miami and Carson Beck hit a unique windfall with a CFP run and a set of unique circumstances. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 CFP title game is played at Hard Rock Stadium... in Miami. Accordingly, the Hurricanes still get the $3 million travel payout, but are playing the game in their home stadium. Add it up and the Hurricanes benefit $23 million from this postseason run.

Miami is cashing in.

Since the ACC doesn’t split CFP payouts, Miami will pocket all $20 million from its national championship run.

Miami also gets $3 million in travel expenses for the national championship, but since it’s a home game at Hard Rock Stadium, that’s free money. pic.twitter.com/5vvdSjGtMN

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) January 9, 2026

The opposite approach, according to Forbes. belongs to the Big 12, which divides its entire CFP money equally among the league members. Texas Tech's impressive season draws just as much money for 1-11 Oklahoma State as it did for the Red Raiders.

The Big Ten also applies the same general approach, although that league does pay a travel stipend to the participating teams before dividing the money. But Indiana will barely earn more than 2-10 Purdue for its historic title run.

As noted above, the SEC pays bonuses to participants. The league directs between $3 million and $4 million to each participating team, depending on how far the relevant team goes in the Playoff and then divides up the remainder.

The $3 million travel bonus is obviously a unique situation. Few college programs play in cities that could potentially lead to a home-field advantage in a national title game. Georgia Tech, Houston, and UCLA would be on the short list of programs that have the potential for such a feat. The 2027 game will be played in Las Vegas so unless UNLV makes a G5 title run, Miami's travel money windfall won't be repeated next season.

But in a season when the ACC seemed likely to be left entirely out of the CFP, it's a funny twist of fate that leaves Miami laughing all the way to the national championship and then to the bank.