The CFP on Tuesday announced they've opened a 30-day negotiating window with ESPN, "signaling their greatest interest yet in a 24-team CFP field that could begin as soon as 2027," reports Heather Dinich of ESPN. This, of course, is no guarantee that the CFP will expand beyond its current 12 teams, nor does it assure that, if and when expansion happens, that 24 is the number of teams that will be involved. Instead, it's more of an indication that "the Big Ten and SEC now agree it's worth a discussion with the event's sole rights holder to see what the value of it would be," Dinich wrote.
The CFP backed up that sentiment in a statement Tuesday. "The CFP has decided to move forward in its evaluation of potential Playoff expansion to 24 teams by beginning a media rights discussion with ESPN," the statement said. "This does not represent a decision or commitment to expand, but rather an opportunity to engage with ESPN and gather additional information to help determine a path forward.
The CFP will provide additional updates when appropriate." Negotiations could begin as soon as Wednesday. So what's on the chopping block with more playoff games potentially on the way? Dinich indicated that conference championship games may be on their way out — if the expanded playoff can offset "at least $200 million" in media value, plus tens of millions more in "tickets, sponsorships and other game-day revenue." That would be a big change for the fans, as those conference championship games are now decades old, but it would help alleviate the problem created by the CFP: The best teams don't have to play in them, and the teams whose fortunes should be swayed by them can only be helped, not hurt.
Look at Alabama last season, for example. A 10-2 squad faced off against the Georgia Bulldogs, whose only loss came at Alabama's hands earlier in the season. The 28-7 beatdown by the Bulldogs was an embarrassment for Alabama but didn't affect the Tide's playoff hopes, as losses in those games aren't supposed to be considered by the committee.
While conference championship games may be fun to watch for fans, their lack of impact on the national title picture makes them more like exhibition games. The CFP is moving closer to replacing them with games that matter in the chase for the national championship. What shape those new games take will be better in view sometime in the next 30 days.
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