Beginning with the 2024-25 seasons, TNT Sports will broadcast two first-round games, according to a release. TNT Sports will air two quarterfinal games additionally in 2026-28 through the agreement.

Additional details about programming plans for the College Football Playoff “will be announced at a later date,” according to a release.

“It is exciting to add TNT Sports, another highly respected broadcaster, to the College Football Playoff family,” Executive Director of the College Football Playoff Bill Hancock stated in a release. “Sports fans across the country are intimately familiar with their work across a wide variety of sports properties over the past two decades, and we look forward to seeing what new and innovative ideas they bring to the promotion and delivery of these games.”

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According to a release, TNT Sports will be “the primary network” televising its select games, and it will also distribute coverage among its additional platforms.

The playoff field expanded from its original four teams to 12 for the first time since it was implemented before the 2014 season.

What’s different under the new format include a range of changes. Notably, the entire first round will be played on-campus while the four highest-ranking conference champions will make up the first four seeds and receive byes in the opening round.

“We’re delighted to reach this agreement with ESPN, providing TNT Sports the opportunity to showcase these College Football Playoff games on our platforms for years to come,” TNT Sports Chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser stated in a release. “TNT Sports aims to delight fans and drive maximum reach and engagement for these marquee games.”

The first round of the expanded playoff is scheduled for Dec. 20-21, then the quarterfinals will take place at familiar New Year’s Six locations, including the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl, before the semifinals at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025, and Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10, 2025, all leading up to the national championship in Atlanta on Jan. 20, 2025.

READ: Colorado announces season-ticket sellout for 2nd-straight season

It’s been a historic offseason for the College Football Playoff. It and ESPN agreed to a new media rights deal in March that will keep the playoff on the network through 2031.

The College Football Playoff also signed a six-year contract establishing a revenue distribution plan. That solidified the 12-team format through at least 2026, and the possibility of more teams joining the field could be a reality come that season.

ESPN “will also continue to manage the sponsorship program for the presentation of the CFP,” according to a release.

“ESPN is pleased to sublicense to TNT Sports a select number of early round games of the College Football Playoff, an event we’ve helped to grow – alongside the CFP – into one of the preeminent championships,” ESPN executive vice president of programming & acquisitions Rosalyn Durant stated in a release. “We’re confident in the reach and promotion that this new agreement will provide as we enter the new, expanded playoff era.”

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Mike Riley, who was the head coach at Oregon State from 1997-98 and 2003-14 and Nebraska from 2015-17, will now be part of the 13-member selection committee. Riley will replace Washington athletics director Pat Chun who was named to his new position in March and recently stepped down, according to a release.

READ: Georgia approves new contract for Kirby Smart; Smart becomes college football’s highest paid coach

“We are pleased to have Mike join the committee,” Executive Director of the CFP Bill Hancock stated in a release. “He has significant experience as a player and coach, and he loves college football. He will bring a unique perspective to the committee. Plus, he is a delightful human being.”

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Riley has more than 48 years of college and professional coaching experience, and he’s been head coach in five different professional leagues including the NFL, Canadian Football League, World League of American Football, Alliance of American Football and the United States Football League.

Riley spent time as an assistant coach at USC before landing his first head coaching gig at Oregon State. Following three years as head coach of the San Diego Chargers, he returned to Oregon State where he collected school records of 93 career wins in 14 total seasons as head coach.

Riley most recently was head coach of the New Jersey Generals in the USFL from 2022-23.

Riley is an Alabama alum where he played defensive back. He was part of the Crimson Tide’s 1973 national championship team under head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.

The post Former Oregon State, Nebraska coach Mike Riley appointed to CFP Selection Committee appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The CFP reaches its new media rights agreement after a historic week. It completed an additional agreement over the weekend with nine conferences and Notre Dame establishing a revenue distributing plan keeping the Playoff through 2031.

READ: Reports: NCAA issues waiver increasing preseason roster size for 2024

“We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with ESPN,” CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock stated in a release. “It’s a significant day for the CFP and for the future of college football. The depth of coverage that ESPN gives to the sport throughout the season is second to none. There is no better platform to showcase this iconic championship as we move into the new 12-team format because ESPN’s people love college football every bit as much as we all do.”

According to a release, ESPN will expand its coverage “adding all four of the new First Round games each year to ESPN’s existing New Year’s Six (now Quarterfinals and Semifinals) and the CFP National Championship rights in the new 12-team playoff that will launch this Fall.”

READ: Reports: CFP deal extended through 2031 by conference commissioners, Notre Dame

Beginning in 2026, ESPN will have exclusive rights to all rounds of the expanded 12-team Playoff in addition to the CFP Selection Show and weekly Top 25 Rankings Shows among others.

The CFP also allowed ESPN the right to sublicense a select number of games, according to a release.

“ESPN has worked very closely with the College Football Playoff over the past decade to build one of the most prominent events in American sports. We look forward to enhancing our valued relationship over the next two years, and then continuing it for six more as we embark on this new, expanded playoff era,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro stated in a release. “This agreement further solidifies ESPN as the home of college football, as well as the destination for the vast majority of major college championships for the next eight years.”

The path forward could go a number of directions. Talk surrounding a possible 14-team Playoff could continue and likely will, as the CFP has already discussed automatic byes in a format that would be expanded again.

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According to multiple reports, nine Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and Notre Dame agreed and signed to a six-year contract establishing a revenue distribution plan and path toward new television deal keeping the CFP in place for the next seven years.

READ: Reports: Maryland to hire Damian Wroblewski as O-line coach

According to Ralph D. Russo of The Associated Press, the Pac-12 didn’t sign “because of its uncertainty beyond 2025.”

The new six-year agreement “doesn’t lock in a format for the CFP for 2026 and beyond, but it guarantees at least a 12-team field and five conferences having annual access to the playoff through 2031,” according to the AP.

According to the AP, “the plan for 2026” is to have the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern conferences all receive automatic bids into the Playoff. The fifth automatic bid will come from the Group of 5 among the American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Sun Belt and Mountain West.

According to Heather Dinich and Pete Thamel of ESPN, under the new financial distribution model, the Big Ten and SEC “will be making more than $21 million per school,” ACC schools “will get more than $13 million annually,” the Big 12 “will get more than $12 million per school” and Notre Dame “is expected to get more than $12 million as well.”

READ: Reports: UConn to promote Gordon Sammis to OC

Among the next steps for the CFP include finishing its new television contract, which will reportedly be with ESPN.

CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said there “isn’t a timetable” for the Playoff to secure its next TV deal, according to ESPN.

The CFP already confirmed the 5-7 format for the 12-team Playoff beginning in 2024. They moved away from the original 6-6 plan and kept the first round bye for the top four seeds.

The prospect of a 14-team Playoff remains a possibility. The CFP has already discussed expanding the field again following two seasons of the newly expanded format in 2026.

According to the AP, the new agreement extending the CFP provides “a look-in by 2028” serving the purpose “that could provide an opportunity to make adjustments.”

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According to multiple reports, the CFP management committee met Wednesday in Dallas and discussed some of the bigger topics surrounding college football, and a potential 14-team Playoff was among the topics.

READ: Alabama announces JaMarcus Shephard, Nick Sheridan join offensive coaching staff

According to Stephen Hawkins of The Associated Press, “the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s incoming athletics director did not reach any conclusions after meeting for nearly nine hours in a hotel at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.” Revenue distribution and governance were among the topics discussed as well.

How a 14-team Playoff would work still needs to be ironed out, according to multiple reports. But it provides added intrigue to an offseason already busy for the CFP, which must address its future after the 2025 season — when its current television contract comes up.

Executive Director Bill Hancock and the CFP “would like to be done with the format and new TV deal within about a month,” according to the AP.

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According to Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich of ESPN, “early discussions were had” among the 11 members of the CFP management committee about automatic qualifiers into the CFP. As it stands, there are no automatic bids from any conference into the Playoff.

The CFP voted Tuesday and confirmed a change from the 6-6 plan to a 5-7 format for the 12-team Playoff. It differs in that the five highest-ranked conference champions plus the next seven highest-ranked teams will comprise the field.

CFP leaders know there is work to be done and items to check off the list. According to multiple reports, finances will be the biggest hurdle for any domino to fall, whether that be a new TV deal or a larger Playoff field.

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Ohio State stood atop at No. 1 in the first CFP rankings, its highest CFP rank since the 2019 season. No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Florida State rounded out the playoff-bound top-four. 

PODCAST: Calculated Risk: Previewing a week 10 with plenty of intrigue

Corrigan spoke about the reasoning behind the Buckeyes’ No. 1 ranking, saying Ohio State’s play on both sides of the ball ultimately gave it the edge. 

“The win against Penn State, to win at Notre Dame, to win at Wisconsin,” Corrigan said. “They’re proving they can do it at home. They’re proving they can do it on the road. They have explosive plays, down a receiver, Marvin Harrison, Jr. is clearly one of the top players in the country. And as we’ve looked at it, as we evaluate it, it is part of the overall evaluation, but a top-five defense that’s giving up about 10 points a game really does play into it as well. So to pick on completely on one side when the other side is so dominant, and by the way, the offense is really, really good so we got to take all of that into account as we’re looking at it, and we came to the conclusion as a committee that they deserved the No. 1 ranking.” 

Much was to be seen regarding Michigan’s ranking and the ongoing NCAA investigation into alleged sign stealing. The Big Ten Conference released a statement Oct. 19 that it had been notified by the NCAA of the investigation, and Michigan has since suspended a staff member with pay. 

On Wednesday night, “a vast majority of the Big Ten coaches expressed their frustrations with the ongoing signal-stealing investigation at Michigan in a video call with commissioner Tony Petitti, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. 

Hancock said “there wasn’t any suggestion that anything changed” when talking about Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel’s position on the CFP committee, as he is a member of the selection committee, and both he and Corrigan said Manuel “was fully engaged in the meeting.” 

“To Bill’s point, (Manuel) was completely engaged in everything that was going on,” Corrigan said. “Obviously, he gets recused early in the process if you will with our ranking, but Warde was in the room, was engaged was making the points that he had seen for the teams that we were talking about, was a really good committee member as all 12 of them were.” 

The topic of the ongoing NCAA investigation into alleged sign stealing by Michigan wasn’t a big talking point, according to CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock. 

“It just wasn’t an issue,” Hancock said. “Warde brought credibility when he came to the committee, and he still had it and still has it. And as Boo and I both said he was fully engaged today so it’s just not an issue here.” 

READ: Preview Thursday: Week 10

The Wolverines have the No. 6 scoring offense and No. 1 scoring defense in college football. Hancock said Michigan has “played well all season” amid the ongoing sign stealing investigation. 

“Fact of the matter is no one knows what happened,” Hancock said. “The NCAA is dealing right now with allegations only. The committee makes its judgments based on what happened on the field, and clearly Michigan has been a dominant team.” 

Behind the top-four is No. 5 Washington and No. 6 Oregon, which both faced off against one another with the Huskies prevailing 36-33 in Week 6. 

Based on resumes, Florida State has two ranked wins, Washington has one and the Ducks have two. 

READ: Big Board: Week 10

Corrigan advocated for the Seminoles’ No. 4 ranking, and noted that the recent performances of the Huskies and Ducks — Washington has won its past two games by nine points or less — led to their positioning in the first CFP rankings of the year. 

“I think as you look at the full body of work, with Florida State being No. 4, the win over LSU, the win against Duke, kind of a frontloaded schedule if you will,” Corrigan said. “They’ve looked really good. Offensively putting up 41 points a game, their defense is ranked in the top 20, but again, as we looked at it overall and went through the process, we came out with Ohio State one, Georgia two, Michigan three, Florida State four. With regards to Washington, a huge win over Oregon, who we have at No. 6. But in looking at that, the game most recently, two most recent games at home against Arizona State and on the road at Stanford from a committee standpoint gave us some pause and put them in at No. 5.” 

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