College Football Playoff expansion could cost ESPN’s monopoly

Jul 23, 2026 - 14:05

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College Football Playoff expansion could cost ESPN’s monopoly

The 2026 season will not bring another expansion of the College Football Playoff. That doesn’t mean expansion is off the table, though. In fact, it still appears more likely than not.

The biggest hurdle is ESPN’s grip on the current tournament. The network owns the exclusive broadcast rights through a 14-team playoff field. Any expansion beyond that would open the door for other broadcasters to bid on the rights.

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Paul Finebaum believes significant expansion is inevitable, and he also thinks it will challenge ESPN’s monopoly on the College Football Playoff.

Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Paul Finebaum in attendance of the Mississippi Rebels against the Miami Hurricanes in the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“I think ultimately, it will go to 24. There will be too much money at stake. And what the Big Ten and others want to do is make it an open market. Right now, ESPN has the exclusive contract, but it can’t go [over] 16 and retain that.”

Finebaum also raised concerns that further expansion could eliminate conference championship games. In that scenario, networks such as CBS could lose the rights to broadcast events like the Big Ten Championship Game.

That likely isn’t what broadcast partners want. As a result, the NCAA and college football’s key decision-makers could eventually be forced to do what ESPN would prefer to avoid: open the bidding process for an expanded playoff.

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ESPN has been the exclusive broadcast partner of the College Football Playoff since its inception. Expansion feels all but inevitable, but as Finebaum suggests, is it the best move? From a financial standpoint, the answer is almost certainly yes.

Dec 29, 2018; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; a general view of an end zone pylon on the field in the 2018 Orange Bowl college football playoff semifinal game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Oklahoma Sooners at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

An expanded field would force ESPN to compete for the rights alongside other networks, driving up the value of the television package. However, it could also erase long-standing traditions and further dilute the importance of the regular season.

In the era of NIL and revenue sharing, though, money will remain the driving force behind major decisions. As long as ESPN maintains exclusive control of the College Football Playoff, the value of its media rights has a ceiling.

Expanding the field changes that—and much more—for better or worse.