Latest news with #RichClark
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big Change Coming for the College Football Playoff
Big Change Coming for the College Football Playoff originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Beginning next season, the College Football Playoff will require teams to issue player availability reports for all games. Advertisement According to Brett McMurphy of and a report CBS Sports, CFP executive director Rich Clark announced the change Wednesday. The Big Ten and SEC have put similar programs in place over the last few years, but the CFP did not share whether their system would follow either of the existing ones. This comes at a time when the widespread legalization of sports gambling is starting to fundamentally alter the landscape of all sports, whether professional or collegiate. Adding the injury reporting requirement brings a level of transparency, making it more difficult for anyone to profit from what was previously exclusive information. The Big Ten's partnership with U.S. Integrity was aimed at these precise issues. Advertisement 'The well-being of our students, coaches, and staff, as well as the integrity of our competitions are of paramount importance,' Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said of the 2023 partnership. 'Enhanced transparency through availability reporting and partnering with U.S. Integrity strengthens our efforts to protect those who participate in our games as well as the integrity of the games themselves. I'm grateful for the collaboration of our schools, coaches, and administrators.' It seems likely that it is only a matter of time before similar measures are enacted throughout the NCAA. Related: College Football Fans Are Saying The Same Thing About Next Year's 12-Team Playoff This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What's holding up CFP expansion? SEC and Big Ten are at a potential impasse on these key issues
College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark is waiting on the SEC and Big Ten to agree on a new playoff format just like the rest of us. (Photo) ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Deep within the Blue Ridge Mountains, the historical Biltmore Estate Hilltop Inn rises above an ocean of rolling greenery, its high stone walls and floor-to-ceiling windows all tucked between two giant peaks: Mount Mitchell and Mount Pisgah. The two mountains loom like sentries, dominating the blue skyline, unmistakable giants in this scenic land. Advertisement Inside the Biltmore, two goliaths within the landscape of college sports, the SEC and Big Ten, are at odds on the future of the industry's most valuable product: the College Football Playoff. Can these mountains be moved? Well, here this week, CFP leaders took steps toward a change to the playoff selection process — yet another chapter in what's already been a laborious journey toward potential expansion to 16 teams. The 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director received a presentation from executive director Rich Clark and data analysts over adjustments to selection committee criteria in an effort to salvage the committee's role itself and appease both Big Ten and SEC leaders — the two entities that, according to a memorandum signed last spring, control future format decisions. Whether such a change brings the two conferences together on a format remains unclear. The two leagues must agree on a playoff model for it to move forward, Clark said on Wednesday from the Biltmore Inn, confirming what's been previously reported based on last spring's memorandum. Advertisement But, for now, they are at an impasse. The Big Ten wants a playoff where access is more like the NFL structure, determined through automatic qualifiers based on conference standings to limit the subjectivity of the selection committee. And the league also supports all four leagues — including the SEC and ACC — to play nine conference games as the Big Ten and Big 12 do. The SEC moved away from such a playoff format after its coaches publicly pushed back against it three weeks ago during the conference's spring meetings, instead now working toward a format that provides a bigger at-large pool, such as a 16-team model with five automatic qualifiers for conference champions and 11 at-large selections (5+11). However, in any 5+11 format, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, his coaches and athletic directors have been very clear: They want to see a change in the selection process to more heavily emphasize strength of schedule and strength of conference. Advertisement For the most part, that's what this set of CFP meetings centered around here this week. Clark, entering his second year as CFP executive director, presented, along with a data analyst from SportsSource Analytics, 'recommendations' on just how to adjust data points that the selection committee uses. With assistance from a Google mathematician and university math professor, the presentation included the creation of a strength-of-record metric to more heavily weight a team's strength of schedule, conference strength and, in particular, non-conference games. In fact, commissioners heard from experts who encouraged the scheduling of more crossover games among the four power leagues — a way, presumably, to provide more data points of rating the league strength. Advertisement Commissioners gave Clark and the CFP staff feedback, about potentially rewriting some language of the protocol used by selection committee members. CFP leaders will now 'mull it over,' Clark said, before the group continues to meet throughout the summer in an effort to reach an expansion decision by Dec. 1 — the drop-dead date for 2026 expansion. Commissioners declined to comment on this week's meeting. Three of the four power conference commissioners, in fact, shuffled into an elevator together here after their meeting. As reporters fired questions toward them, the elevator doors closed. The fourth power league commissioner, Big Ten's Tony Petitti, did not attend meetings in person but was in attendance virtually. Clark spoke in their absence. The same format options that have existed continue to exist, he said. 'There are a lot of options. You've heard all of the options.' While not mentioning them, they are obvious. Advertisement 1) Remain at the same 12-team format: 5 AQs + 7 at-large, which isn't necessarily the preference, Sankey said a few weeks ago. 2) Expand to a 14-team event: 5 AQs + 9 at-large, which isn't as desirable as the next option. 3) Move to a 16-team field: 5+11 or the Big Ten's AQ-heavy proposal that grants twice as many bids to each the SEC and Big Ten (4 each) as the ACC and Big 12 (2). 'The format could be a lot different in 2026 or could be the same,' Clark said. Staying at 12 for 2026 is a grim reality for some, but it's a possibility, perhaps even a probability as negotiations creep closer to the Dec. 1 deadline. If the SEC and Big Ten do not agree on a format, there may not be a change at all. Advertisement When specifically asked about the Big Ten and SEC having to both agree on format, Clark said, 'They are obligated to come to an agreement on what the format is. They will determine that between the parties and will go forward from there. 'Rushing to a bad decision is not in any of our best interest,' he said later. 'They're looking at any and all options and understanding what the pros and cons are to those things rather than rush to something that may not suit us.' Would the Big Ten really block expansion to 16 if the rest of the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame agree on the 5+11 format? Perhaps. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema gestured toward that during an interview on Tuesday in Chicago. 'I don't think there's any way we could do a 16-team playoff if [the SEC] is not at nine [conference] games,' he said. Can these two mountains be moved? Asked that question here Wednesday, one CFP leader smiled and quipped, 'We'll get there.'
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
CFP leadership says there's no leading contender for Playoff format in 2026
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The College Football Playoff staff recommended updating the strength of schedule metrics used in the selection process and hopes to have a new format in place by the fall. But CFP talks this week reached a reset on what that format will be for 2026 and beyond. 'I wouldn't say there's a leading contender right now for them, but they're taking a good look and a fresh look at it,' CFP executive director Rich Clark said Wednesday. Advertisement The CFP management committee, composed of 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director, met twice over two days at a resort hotel overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest North Carolina. After the full group was done, the Power 4 commissioners met on their own to further discuss the direction of a playoff format for 2026-31. Though expansion from 12 teams seems likely in the next iteration of the Playoff, Clark made a point to say nothing is off the table. 'The format could be a lot different in '26 or it may be the same,' Clark said Wednesday. How best to pick the teams seems up for debate more so than the number of teams in the field. The Big Ten's long-supported plan to populate the field with automatic qualifiers — determined by league standings and play-in games — hit a roadblock when the Big 12 proposed a 16-team bracket with 11 at-large bids. The 5-11 model caught the attention of SEC coaches and administrators and sent CFP officials pivoting to examine the selection process. Clark said CFP staff met with data provider SportSource Analytics and some outside sources, including a mathematician from Google, to examine the statistics they provide the committee — with a focus on strength of schedule. 'Because some of these metrics were, I'd say, put into place with a whole different look in the way college football was laid out, with the way conferences were structured and things like that,' Clark said. 'So you have to step back and go, OK, how are we structured now? And look at it from that lens. I wouldn't say it's dramatic, but it's a refresh.' Clark said staff also met with athletic directors who served on the committee last year to talk about process. The CFP is still committed to using a committee to select the teams, despite some skepticism — especially in the Big Ten — about whether a subjective process is the best way to compare and contrast teams that play vastly different schedules. Advertisement 'There were no real discussions about changing priorities,' Clark said. 'We're looking at them and making sure we're viewing them through the right lens given where college football is today.' Clark said there is still time for discussion before a decision needs to be made. A firm deadline is Dec. 1, when TV partner ESPN needs to be notified. But Playoff leaders would like to be done well before that. 'By the fall, though, we want to have a decision,' Clark said. 'That's the preference for all of us so that we can get things put into place and the conference can make some decisions based on what the format is going to be.' Clark cautioned, though, that the decision would likely be for six years, and 'rushing to a bad decision is not in any of our best interests.' For 2025, the 12-team CFP bracket introduced last year will still be in effect, but with a tweak to the way teams are seeded, no longer reserving byes for the top four conference champions. Changes to the CFP format no longer need unanimous approval from the 11-member management committee. The SEC and Big Ten can shape the future without consensus from the group, but there remains some question about just how much power those conferences have to push through a format that has no support from the rest of the group. And whether it is advisable to do so. 'They're obligated to come to an agreement on what the format is,' Clark said. 'So they'll determine that between the parties, and then go forward from there.' Further complicating the CFP discussions is a local issue. The Big Ten is leery about signing off on a format heavy on at-large bids while the SEC — and the ACC — both play eight-game conference schedules. Big Ten (and Big 12) teams play nine conference games annually, and leaders in the conference believe those extra guaranteed losses can work against their teams in a race for at-large bids. Advertisement The SEC is still wavering on expanding from eight conference games to nine. Again, it comes down to being wary that their already rigorous schedules won't be properly rewarded in the selection process. The SEC put three teams in the 12-team CFP last year, with Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina all just on the outside in the selection committee's final ranking. The Big Ten's push for multiple automatic qualifiers from each power conference would substantially minimize the selection committee's role to mostly just seeding. The Big 12 and ACC have pushed back on a plan to reserve two playoff spots each for them and four each for the Big Ten and SEC. Five months of minimal progress led everybody back to the drawing board, looking for new solutions, but the management committee did come to some other decisions. The commissioners approved player availability reports for Playoff games that will mimic what the Big Ten and SEC use during the regular season, Clark said. The commissioners also approved instituting sports wagering monitoring beginning next season. 'How we do it is now up to the staff to really figure out what the details of that will be,' Clark said.
The Herald Scotland
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
College Football Playoff seeding change is SEC, Big Ten power move
Until they couldn't -- until their false bravado of public statements wilted in the face of reality. So it should come as no surprise that the College Football Playoff announced Thursday that this season's 12-team bracket would be a straight-seeded format. No more highest-ranked conference champions earning first-round byes, a format that benefits the ACC, Big 12 and Group of Five. No more Mr. Nice Guy from the Big Ten and SEC. "After evaluating the first year of the 12-team Playoff, the CFP Management Committee felt it was in the best interest of the game to make this adjustment," said Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP. Translation: the SEC and Big Ten said take it or leave it, and the rest of the Football Bowl Subdivision conferences fell in line. More damning: this is just the beginning of the Big Ten and SEC power play -- and there's nothing anyone can do about it. If you don't believe it, consider this: any change to the final year of first CFP contract needed a unanimous vote. The next CFP contract beginning with the 2026 season, which will effectively be controlled exclusively by the Big Ten and SEC, doesn't. TOP 10 RANKING: Identifying the best SEC college football rivalries BAD IDEA: College football hiring CEO going to be another typical failure So if the minority didn't agree with the majority on the straight seeding for 2025 (which they could have), they may as well have signed their own pink slips for the next CFP contract. The Big Ten and SEC control everything - format and financials - beginning in 2026. A new 16-team format will likely exceed $1.2 billion in revenue annually, and no one wants to be left out. So while Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips have accomplished some heavy lifting to save their respective conferences, while the Group of Five conferences have done all they can to hang on for revenue scraps, the Big Ten and SEC have doubled down and flexed. It's their postseason world, the rest of college football is just surviving in it. And the Big Ten and SEC haven't even begun to take big swings yet. Soon enough - more than likely shortly after the SEC spring meetings next week in Destin, Florida - the College Football Playoff will announce the format for 2026 and beyond. It wasn't long ago that the Big 12 and ACC were publicly questioning a move to 16 teams, and against the idea that the Big Ten and SEC would be gifted four automatic qualifiers each -- or half of the field. It wasn't long ago that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey floated the idea that maybe, with the new contract, they wouldn't use a committee to pick the field -- or they would, but it would be tweaked. Shoot, maybe they'd bring back computer polls. Understand this: the Big Ten and SEC aren't floating ideas publicly (or leaking them) to gain an understanding of how far things can be pushed. They're telling you what they're doing. And then they're going to do it. When the SEC meets next week in Destin, the league could finally and officially approve a nine-game conference schedule. This will put the Big Ten (which already plays a nine-game conference schedule) and SEC on an even playing field, and eliminate the final point of structural friction between the conferences. It will also send a shot across the bow to everyone else in college football. The two super conferences are now in lockstep in format and focus, and they're going after big financial paydays. If you don't like how we structure the postseason beginning in 2026, we'll take our ball and have our own playoff. Better yet, we'll schedule each other in non-conference games, and effectively shut out the rest of the sport. There's a reason the Big Ten and SEC have been talking about an expanded non-conference schedule for nearly a year. Network television (and eventually streaming) wants more Big Ten vs. SEC. So don't be shocked when the new 2026 CFP format includes an expanded championship week prior to the beginning of the playoff. That week - which long has been a standalone week for conference championship games - would include a championship game and three play-in games from the Big Ten and SEC. The teams playing in the two championship games, and the winners of the play-in games, would advance to the CFP. That's four automatic qualifiers each from the Big Ten and SEC. More problematic for the ACC and Big 12 (and Group of Five): the Big Ten and SEC play-in games will suck the oxygen (not to mention, television money) from that final regular-season weekend. More games, more television inventory, more revenue for the elite 34 schools of college football. The ACC and Big 12 would get two automatic qualifiers each beginning in 2026, Notre Dame would be guaranteed a spot if it's ranked in the top 16, and the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion would also earn a spot. That leaves three at-large spots in a 16-team field. Three spots for the Big Ten and SEC to more than likely share, or earn a majority -- based, more than anything, on strength of schedule. It's all there, plain to see. The Big Ten and SEC are telling us how they're going to take over college football, and it's time we start listening. This is just the beginning, everyone. And there's nothing anyone can do about it. Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.
Forbes
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
College Football Playoff Unveils New Straight Seeding Model For 2025
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 31: A general view of the CFP logo before the college football Playoff ... More Semifinal game at the Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ohio State Buckeyes on December 31, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) In its second season of existence, the 12-team College Football Playoff will feature an updated change to its postseason format. According to CFP officials this past Thursday, the event will conduct a straight seeding model for the upcoming fall season. This regulation will now reward college football's top four regular-season teams with a first-round bye instead of it going to the four highest-ranked conference title winners. According to ESPN, 10 FBS commissioners alongside Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua came to the unanimous decision on a Thursday afternoon phone call. With the recent format change, a non-conference team like Notre Dame is now eligible to receive a first-round bye if they finish inside the CFP's top-four ranking. However, the five highest-ranked conference title winners will still have a guaranteed slot in the 12-team postseason event. 'After evaluating the first year of the 12-team Playoff, the CFP management committee felt it was in the best interest of the game to make this adjustment,' Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP, said in a statement. 'This change will continue to allow guaranteed access to the Playoff by rewarding teams for winning their conference championship, but it will also allow us to construct a postseason bracket that recognizes the best performance on the field during the entire season.' If this year's format was applied a season ago, the Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns and Penn State Nittany Lions would've been the event's top four seeds. Instead, Penn State and Texas were pushed out by conference title winners in the Arizona State Sun Devils (winners of the Big-12) and Boise State Broncos (Winners of the Mountain West). Under the new format, Arizona State would have been gifted a road matchup versus the Ohio State Buckeyes in a sixth versus eleventh seeded first round matchup. Boisie State would've drawn a road tilt with the Indiana Hoosiers in a captivating eighth versus ninth seeded matchup. 2024 CFP Straight Seeding First Round Matchups No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Clemson No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Arizona State No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 SMU No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Boise State Despite the recent change, CFP's delegation will continue to agree to the $8 million financial payout for the four-highest conference champions. Programs who secure a playoff berth and/or make the quarterfinals will receive $4 million compensation. "That was the commissioners' way of, at least for this year, holding to the commitment that they have made financially to those teams, those conference champions in particular, that would have been paid those amounts under the former system that we used last year," Clark told ESPN.
