College Football Playoff expansion negotiations with ESPN continue past deadline

The College Football Playoff’s exclusive negotiating window with ESPN closed Friday without a deal to expand the event to 24 teams. But as has been the case repeatedly during a yearlong process, deadlines aren’t actually deadlines.

The CFP and its network partner reportedly have exercised a previously undisclosed option that extends the negotiations by another week. Or maybe two weeks.

When will their tango end?

Nobody knows.

But it has become increasingly clear the commissioners in charge of the playoff, with the SEC’s Greg Sankey and the Big Ten’s Tony Petitti in the leading roles, are planning to double the size of the 12-team field as early as the 2027 season.

Whether fans want it or not.

Whether the sport would benefit or not.

The only unresolved issue is the one that matters most: money.

Expansion would mean the end of conference championship games that are believed to generate in excess of $250 million for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.

As a result, the momentous change only makes sense if the 12 games added to the CFP inventory would produce an annual windfall well beyond that amount.

Will ESPN offer enough cash to lock down the rights to the new inventory?

If not, the CFP will take the 12 games to the market.

Fox executives have stated their desire to broadcast CFP games, which makes sense given the network’s partnership with the Big 12 and, especially, the Big Ten. NBC and CBS might be interested, as well.

At this point, it’s a waiting game. The CFP was expected to make its final proposal today, which would trigger a five-day response window for ESPN, according to a CBS Sports report.

And we should mention that playoff executives face a Dec. 1 deadline to notify ESPN of any format changes for next season — to the extent deadlines mean anything with the CFP.