Report: ACC, Big 12 unanimously vote to authorize new College Football Playoff framework

As conversations continue about the future of the College Football Playoff, the ACC and Big 12 both took big steps on Wednesday. The presidents from both conferences voted unanimously to approve the new CFP framework, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported.

There are a few components to the discussions about what’s next for the CFP, starting in 2026 when the media deal with ESPN is set to expire. The network is reportedly preparing to re-up its agreement to the tune of a six-year, $7.8 billion deal, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. That comes out to $1.3 billion annually – which leads to the next big topic of revenue distribution.

Last week, Dellenger reported the Big Ten and SEC were proposing a model that would allow them to receive a bigger slice of the pie. The Big Ten and SEC are seeking to split 58% of the base revenue, while the Big 12 and ACC would be given 32% to share. That leaves 10% left for Notre Dame and the the Group of 5 conferences.

Finally, there’s the idea of possible expansion of the format. This year, the CFP field will move to 12 teams, and that model will be in place for at least the next two seasons. A 14-team model has been proposed, and reported discussions also included automatic byes for the Big Ten and SEC following their expansions. However, ESPN reported the CFP is reconsidering that idea after public backlash – including from Big 12 and ACC coaches.

Greg Sankey expressed ‘frustration’ with College Football Playoff discussions last week

The idea of expanding the CFP has been around for the last few years, although it’s becoming a reality starting with the 2024 season. There was talk of growing from four teams to 12 in 2023 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but conversations stalled, and it had to wait until 2024.

In fact, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he thinks the different topics being discussed now should’ve come up earlier, which is why he expressed “frustration” about where things stand.

“We have a reality for the College Football Playoff that says we need to be in conversations,” Sankey said ahead of the SEC women’s basketball tournament game between Auburn and LSU. “And it’s been a four-year work project for me that others decided to just put on the shelf for basically two years.

“Part of my frustration is the details that we’re trying to grind through right now, we should’ve been grinding through back in 2022 or 2023, not 2024. But problems yield in effort, that’s a mantra of mine.”