ESPN has renewed its rights deal with the College Football Playoff through 2032, with an expanded 24-team format set to take effect next season.
Barely a decade into its existence, the CFP has bumped up ratings and excitement around the sport, but its initial 4-team setup has grown exponentially and will once again reshape the calendar in its latest expansion. Starting in 2027-28, the larger field will give more teams a shot, in the vein of basketball’s March Madness, but already debate is centering on how the two dominant conferences (the Big Ten and the SEC) will be appropriately represented.
While ESPN has thrived with the extra playoff games, the Disney division has also been in a position to license early-round games. A 2024 deal between ESPN and TNT Sports gave the latter rights to select games, including CFP rounds.
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ESPN will begin its new rights deal in the 2027-28 season. Along with playoff games, the agreement also includes continued exclusive rights to all ancillary programming connected to the Playoff, such as the CFP Selection Show, weekly CFP Top 25 Rankings shows and other programming.
CFP organizers noted that 16 of the 23 Playoff games will be played on campus (up from the current level of four), building on the success of the on-campus games from the current 12-team format. While neutral sites are common for bowl games and the final rounds of the CFP, they can sometimes dampen the atmosphere of a college game, which is often as much a draw as the action on the field.
CFP Quarterfinals and CFP Semifinals will continue to be played at the six CFP bowl partner locations (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, Sugar).
“The decision to expand was driven by a desire to increase opportunities for FBS programs, student-athletes and fan bases to participate in the Playoff and have a chance to play for the CFP National Championship, while new scheduling standards incentivize institutions to schedule more compelling non-conference matchups during the regular season,” the CFP said in a statement.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said his company and the CFP “have worked collaboratively for more than a decade to make the CFP one of the marquee events in all of sports, and we remain firmly committed to elevating it in its new, expanded 24-team format. We value the trust that the CFP has placed in us as its exclusive media partner, and our continued presentation of this premier championship further solidifies ESPN as the home of college football and the destination for college sports for years to come.”