ESPN is reportedly paying an extra $345 million every year to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams starting in 2027. This news broke on Thursday when Pete Thamel reported the deal is nearly done. The network already pays $1.3 billion annually, but this new money changes the whole game. It means more games for fans and more revenue for schools, but it also brings big changes to how we watch our favorite teams compete.
Not everyone is happy about this shift. Nick Saban, the former Alabama coach who now works as an analyst, thinks the plan goes too far. He believes 16 teams plus the 4 play-ins would be a better middle ground, Saban said on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday morning. He feels the current push is just about cash, not what is best for the student-athletes playing the sport.
The Real Cost of Expansion
The numbers behind this deal are huge and hard to ignore. Thamel posted to X that the average additional payment ESPN will make is $345 million annually for the next five years. This is on top of the $1.3 billion the network is already paying each year. However, the math gets a little tricky when you look at what is being cut. Conference championship games for the SEC, ACC, and Big 12 are expected to disappear under the new format.
Because those championship games are going away, ESPN gets back roughly $140 million per year. That means the network is really only paying about $205 million for the new 24-team field. According to reports, ESPN’s actual payment will be roughly $205 million from the new $345 million total. This swap saves the network money while still giving them more high-value playoff games to broadcast. It is a smart business move, but it takes away a big event for fans of those three conferences.
Saban’s Push for a Smaller Field
Nick Saban has been very vocal about his concerns since the news broke. He appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday to share his thoughts on the matter. Saban stated that 16 teams would make a good compromise. He worries that adding so many games puts too much pressure on young players who are still in school. He expressed concern regarding the limit on games a college player should participate in.
Saban also pointed out that universities need to have a budget to keep things fair. He believes every business has a budget and asked why college athletics would be any different. “The bottom line is money. That’s the bottom line,” Saban said on ESPN. He wants to make sure schools can still fund Olympic sports and other programs while paying players fairly. He believes a budget is necessary to ensure operations do not lead to bankruptcy.
For local fans, this change means more hope for more teams. The new format will likely follow a 19+4+1 model. This means 19 at-large bids, four spots reserved for Power Four champions, and one spot for the highest-rated Group of Six champion. It opens the door for 24 teams to have a real shot at the title. Pete Nakos of On3 stated that while no vote occurred during the scheduled meeting, the CFP confirmed ongoing discussions. Constructive discussions with ESPN continued this week, the CFP’s statement read.
Heather Dinich of ESPN via Yahoo reported that the College Football Playoff reached a handshake agreement with the network. She reported that this agreement moves the postseason path significantly closer to doubling. While there is still work to do on paper, the deal seems ready to rock the college football world next year. Fans will see more teams in the mix, but they will miss out on the big conference championship games that used to happen in December. It is a trade-off that will change how we follow our teams from the regular season all the way to the title.
The current contract ESPN holds runs through the 2031-32 season. This new deal fits right into that timeline, starting in 2027.