X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

College Football Playoff, ESPN Agree To Six-Year Extension With Whopping Price Tag

CFP Logo - College Football Playoff ESPN Logo

The College Football Playoff is set to expand in 2024, and ESPN reached a new agreement to air the postseason action through the 2031-32 season. What does the contract extension mean for CFB?

Big news came out of the college football world on Tuesday. The College Football Playoff and ESPN agreed to a long-term contract extension that will keep ESPN the home of the new 12-team format for the foreseeable future. ESPN has broadcasted the CFP since it began ahead of the 2014 season.

With the format expanding from four to 12 teams, the number of games will go from three to 11. Needless to say, ESPN and the CFP will have the opportunity to capitalize financially.

What are the details of the new agreement, and what does it mean for viewers? Let's dive in.

Featured Promo: Get any College Football Premium Pass for 50% off and win more using code NEW. Exclusive access to our industry-leading DFS Lineup Optimizer, DFS Cheat Sheets and Premium Slack Chat rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Contract Extension Details

ESPN and the CFP agreed to a six-year extension worth $7.8 billion, according to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, Nicole Auerbach, Stewart Mandel, and Chris Vannini. ESPN is currently paying $608 million per year for the rights to broadcast the semifinals and the title game, and that figure will rise to around $1.3 billion per year after the 2025-26 season.

The new deal will be finalized when the CFP leaders sort out the specifics of how the new format will operate. The Pac-12 was initially supposed to earn an automatic bid, but with 10 members of the conference departing ahead of the 2024-25 season, changes will need to be sorted out and made.

ESPN will also have the ability to sublicense games to other networks at its discretion.

 

How Will The 12-Team Format Work?

As mentioned above, the CFP committee will have to finalize a stricture for qualifying, but the first round of the new-look format will feature on-campus games. The No. 5, 6, 7, and 8 seeds will host the No. 9, 10, 11, and 12 seeds in the first round. ESPN will own the rights to those games and the neutral site contests in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship games.

Ultimately, ESPN's new contract with the CFP won't bring much change to the consumer, as it has aired every game of the CFP era thus far.

 

Bowl Game Rotations

The bowl sites that host each round of the new-look CFP will vary from year to year. Here's a look at the 2024-25 and 2025-26 locations:

2024 Season

First Round (On-Campus)

      • Friday, December 20, 2024: One Game (evening)
      • Saturday, December 21, 2024: Three Games (early afternoon, late afternoon, and evening)

Quarterfinals

      • Tuesday, December 31, 2024: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (evening)
      • Wednesday, January 1, 2025: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl Game (late afternoon), and Allstate Sugar Bowl (evening)

Semifinals

      • Thursday, January 9, 2025: Capital One Orange Bowl (evening)
      • Friday, January 10, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)

CFP National Championship

    • Monday, January 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

 

2025 Season

First Round (On-Campus)

      • Friday, December 19, 2025: One Game (evening)
      • Saturday, December 20, 2025: Three Games (early afternoon, late afternoon, and evening)

Quarterfinals

      • Wednesday, December 31, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)
      • Thursday, January 1, 2026: Capital One Orange Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl Game (late afternoon), and Allstate Sugar Bowl (evening)

Semifinals

      • Thursday, January 8, 2026: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (evening)
      • Friday, January 9, 2026: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (evening)

CFP National Championship

    • Monday, January 19, 2026: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

More College Football Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Lance McCullers Jr.

Punches Out 12
Kyle Finnegan

Available on Wednesday
Bo Bichette

Out on Wednesday With Back Tightness
Brendan Donovan

Back in the Lineup on Wednesday
Camilo Doval

to Replace Ryan Walker as Giants Closer
Christian Walker

Removed Early After Being Hit by a Pitch on his Hand
Adley Rutschman

Back in Action on Wednesday
MLB

Braves-Phillies Game Postponed on Wednesday
Steven Kwan

Leaves Early on Wednesday With Wrist Inflammation
Logan O'Hoppe

Expected to Start on Wednesday
Ronel Blanco

to Have Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Luis Robert Jr.

Out With Knee Soreness, Likely to Return on Friday
Carlos Rodón

Carlos Rodon Strikes Out 10 in Win Over Angels
Cal Raleigh

Hits Two More Homers In Tuesday Win
Logan Webb

Punches Out 10 in Loss to Tigers
Christian Yelich

Wallops Walk-Off Grand Slam Against Red Sox
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Deep Twice in Win Over Royals
Jose Altuve

Shines in Four-Hit, Two-HR Performance
Bryce Miller

Dealing with Bone Spur in Elbow
Nathan Eovaldi

Exits Start with Triceps Fatigue
Bryce Harper

Exits Game After Being Hit by Pitch
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP
10
10
11
14
12
18
13
22
14
24
15
30
16
Max Fried NYY
31
17
Joe Ryan MIN
41
18
42
19
44

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF