Quote:UCF and its chatty athletic director Danny White have made their feelings known. But it would be highly hypocritical of those who devised the playoff to now criticize it because UCF is excluded. Everyone -- including UCF and the AAC -- previously signed off on this format.

Changes can be made, just not soon: Nearly every person who matters in the process continues to say the 12-year contract with ESPN will be honored without tinkering. "There is no reference in the contract [about] considering any new format before the time comes," CFP executive director Bill Hancock tells CBS Sports. "… This will be about process. There was an extensive process that followed when we ended up creating the CFP."

Hancock did add that playoff officials may "ponder when to ponder" change at their Jan. 7 meeting in Santa Clara, California. Those meetings are held by the 11-person board of managers, including 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins, who has a team in this year's playoff.

https://footballbowlassociation.com/news...ieved.aspx

If Bill is saying there is no reference for considering a new format before the time comes that can be taken either way.

1) There is no language in place to address a situation where the powers would like to expand the playoff so there is no mechanism for it to happen.

2) There is no language in place to address a situation where the powers would like to expand the playoff so there is nothing permitting it from happening.

Its a 12 year contract with ESPN. The question is would ESPN be willing to issue an expanded CFP contract a couple of years early?

What if ESPN viewed a CFP expansion as a way to prevent conference expansion driven by the need to be more competitive on the football field? Thinking maybe they could double the CFP payout without inflating rights fees that would come with a P4.

This is a good question for ESPN because if they preemptively expand to 8 I don't think schools will feel the pressure to move conferences for more money since they won't need to pay for a Top 5 coaching staff to get there.

Going to 8 I believe will once again return to the college football world the natural ladder that existed between conference instead of the sharp P5/G5 distinction we have today.

SEC-Will be in the playoff.
B1G-Will be in the playoff barring major upset.
XII-Very likely to be in the playoff.
ACC-As long as Clemson is a national power.
PAC-Should put its champ in the playoff most year.
AAC-In some years can put a team into the playoff.
G4-No sniff of the playoff but more $$$

More of a natural ladder where the PAC and AAC represent the upper mid tier and lower mid tiers respectively.

P4 as we discussed in other threads may not be feasible when the PAC has the academics but the XII has the FB power & cash to force a P4 therefore opening up the CFP to 8 teams is the best compromise.

(01-06-2019 11:45 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  If Bill is saying there is no reference for considering a new format before the time comes that can be taken either way.

1) There is no language in place to address a situation where the powers would like to expand the playoff so there is no mechanism for it to happen.

2) There is no language in place to address a situation where the powers would like to expand the playoff so there is nothing permitting it from happening.

Its a 12 year contract with ESPN. The question is would ESPN be willing to issue an expanded CFP contract a couple of years early?

What if ESPN viewed a CFP expansion as a way to prevent conference expansion driven by the need to be more competitive on the football field? Thinking maybe they could double the CFP payout without inflating rights fees that would come with a P4.

This is a good question for ESPN because if they preemptively expand to 8 I don't think schools will feel the pressure to move conferences for more money since they won't need to pay for a Top 5 coaching staff to get there.

ESPN has said, fine, we'll talk about it if they want to. But its up to the presidents.
If the deal makes more money for both (and the presidents want it), the contract WILL be amended.

https://www.apnews.com/5e75e220751f405cad4a5cc6e8aa5962

This is a good article on it with the difficulties.