College Football Playoff nears move to 5+7 model for 12-team format starting in 2024: Source

The College Football Playoff is close to adjusting its 12-team format next year and moving to a 5+7 model, with five automatic bids to the conference champions, instead of the original 6+6.

The CFP Management Committee, made up of 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick, is recommending a 5+7 format to the CFP Board of Directors for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, a person familiar with the decision said. The athlete. The Board of Directors consists of 11 university presidents and chancellors. Yahoo Sports first reported the news.

In addition, the Management Committee also recommends a policy that would require a conference to have at least eight teams to be eligible for one of five automatic qualifying spots. The other seven places will go to the big teams.

Both changes are a response to the collapse of the Pac-12, which is currently scheduled to field just two teams next season, Oregon State and Washington State. The schools are locked in an ongoing legal battle with their league for control of the Pac-12’s decision and its money, and it’s unclear whether they will join another conference or try to pull teams from elsewhere to rebuild the league.

CFP school presidents must vote unanimously to change 5+7, and Washington State President Kirk Schultz is the Pac-12 representative, but it would be surprising if the recommendation isn’t approved.

Thursday’s management panel in Dallas was very heated, according to people in the room. This was evident on a personal level throughout the day when committee members left the room less friendly and relaxed than they had left previous meetings.

“We have been in a critical situation and we are facing difficult issues,” MAC Commissioner John Steinbrecher said. The athlete At the conclusion of the meeting. “It’s not always fun.”

When asked about the various changes after the meeting, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey responded each time only, “We’ll see.”

The change would remove the possibility of the Group of Five conferences getting two automatic bids when the 12-team CFP begins next year, something Sankey has publicly opposed. Mike Aresco, commissioner of the American Athletic Conference, has expressed support for moving to a 5+7 model in 2026 and beyond, when a new, functional television deal comes into play, but has backed away from doing so in 2024 and 2025.

The CFP’s original 12-team plan, in a 6+6 format, was first created with 2026 in mind. It was later moved to 2024, and the Pac-12’s implosion gave the Group of Five some unexpected short-term leverage with the potential for two spots. But in the end, the commissioners agreed to make the 5+7 change for the next two seasons. (The 6+6 plan is still technically in place for 2026, but that is also expected to change when more details about the next deal are determined.)

The changes are not official yet, and several other issues remain, including revenue sharing between conferences and a television deal for next season. The 12-team CFP does not expect to have more than two television partners for the 11 games, but discussions are ongoing, CEO Bill Hancock said. Streaming-only options are also on the table. ESPN has the right to match bids for the eight first- and second-round games in 2024 and 2025. The entire contract is open for 2026 and beyond.

The format change wasn’t the only news. The CFP on Friday named Superintendent of the Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard Clarke as its next CEO to replace Hancock.

(Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today)