A 14-person presidential “media” committee wants to expand the College Football Playoff (CFP) to 24 teams. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, intended to “save” collegiate athletics, prompted the committee’s establishment.
“I think it’s accurate to say that there is a coalescing around 24,” Ross Dellinger of Yahoo Sports reports one “high-placed stakeholder” who is part of both the CFP governance committee and the presidential group said.
It is noteworthy that until two years ago, the College Football Playoff had only four teams involved. It was just over the past two years that they bumped it up to 12 teams
“The growing support for a 24-team playoff not only exists among those presidential committee members working outside of college athletics,” Dellinger wrote.
“During last week’s meeting, at least three of the four power conference commissioners, and Notre Dame, expressed outright support for, or at the very least an openness to deeply explore, a 24-team proposal, those with knowledge of the meeting told Yahoo Sports.”
Dellinger also noted that Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks last week said at the Sports Business Journal’s World Congress of Sports that “24 solves an enormous amount of problems.” On the other hand, ESPN “executives have privately dismissed the notion.” Mostly because ESPN currently possesses the rights to the 12-team playoff for the next six years and has already sublicensed 15 playoff games to TNT Sports during that time period.
“We asked the government for help with NIL, and now they’re involved in the playoff,” one CFP committee member said recently, according to Dellinger.
College football fans are not happy about the government’s involvement or a 24-team playoff format
“Very good and useful spending of our government’s time! None of us can afford anything. Insurance is out of control. But hey, a 24-team playoff is coming! Thank you, government!” one fan wrote in response to the news on X.
“One thing everyone always says: ‘Man I would love for the American government, who already does so many things well, to get involved in College football,'” read another comment dripping with sarcasm.
“Has anybody ever heard a fan of college football say that the CFP should expand to 24?” another fan asked. “I’ve legitimately never heard it even once.”
“A White House committee has no business even being mentioned in the College Football Playoff picture,” another fan commented.
“Why not 76 teams? Match basketball tournament. Could play [the] Rose Bowl on July 4th?” read another very sarcastic criticism.