ESPN expected to propose new CFP model with play-in games during expansion talks, per report
By Jacob Moss
Published:
College football is about to enter year 3 of the 12-team College Football Playoff format, but the power brokers at the top of the sport have been eyeing further expansion since before the current framework was even implemented.
Nobody knows exactly what the next iteration of the CFP will look like, but it’s pretty much a certainty at this point that further expansion is coming, and it could be here sooner rather than later.
According to Yahoo! Sports insider Ross Dellenger, discussions surrounding what the future of the playoff could look like have already begun, and ESPN is expected to propose a new model that will include play-in games.
Per Dellenger, ESPN’s new proposed format will feature a 16-team format with 4 play-in games that will determine who gets the final 4 slots in the bracket.
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While not an exact match, this new format ESPN is proposing appears to take inspiration from what the NBA currently has in place for their postseason format.
The Worldwide Leader in Sports owns broadcasting rights to both the CFP and the NBA Playoffs/Finals, so it makes sense that they would draw inspiration from another highly successful league.
While this is certainly an interesting development, we’re unlikely to have any final proposals on what further CFP expansion will look like anytime soon, as Dellenger reports that, while discussions about a new playoff format have begun, no final decisions are expected anytime soon.
