Firm reportedly pitches privatized College Football Playoff model for FCS
By Jyesha Nance
Published:
In the ever-changing world of college football, another shake-up could be on the horizon, and it may be coming from the FCS level. On Wednesday, Front Office Sports reported that a private equity firm, Sequence Equity, has pitched as plan to privatize the FCS College Football Playoff, signaling a potential new era for postseason play in the subdivision.
According to the report, Sequence Equity has approached schools with the argument that the current playoff system is undervalued. By moving to a privatized model, schools could extract more revenue from their event, especially at a time when athletic departments are exploring fresh streams of income to prepare for the financial demands due to the revenue-sharing with student-athletes.
The FCS playoffs, run by the NCAA, currently crowns a national championship each January and has been a hallmark of the subdivision’s competitive landscape. However, with increased attention on the economics of college sports – and growing pressure on schools to maximize every asset – outside investment could reshape the way postseason is staged, funded, and monetized.
If approved, the move would mark a rare shift of NCAA-controlled postseason property into private hands, opening the door to expanded media rights, sponsorship opportunities, and potential format changes. Still, questions remain about how privatization would impact competitive balance, governance, and long-term traditions of the FCS playoff system.
For now, Sequence Equity’s pitch underscores a larger reality: every corner of college sports is being re-evaluated for financial upside – and even the FCS postseason isn’t off limits.
