ESPN, CFP agree to move deadline for format changes to Jan. 23 - ESPN

The College Football Playoff and ESPN on Monday agreed to extend the deadline to determine if there will be any changes made to the playoff format for 2026 and beyond.

The new deadline for completing the format and related structural decisions will move from Dec. 1 to Jan. 23, 2026.

«We appreciate the continued partnership and collaboration with ESPN as we work through the important elements that will shape the future of the College Football Playoff,» CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. «While no change to the current format is definite, this extension will allow the management committee additional time to evaluate the second year of the expanded playoff and ensure any potential modifications are carefully considered, fully vetted, and in the best interests of student-athletes, schools, and fans.»

With no decision in sight, the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua now have more time to see if Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey can reach an agreement on the future format.

If not — and they have been at a stalemate for months — they have both said publicly the current 12-team format can remain in place for another season.

Under the new six-year agreement, which begins in 2026, the Big Ten and SEC have the bulk of control over the future format — something the other commissioners and Notre Dame agreed to during those negotiations. Earlier this month, the Power 4 commissioners met in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Petitti explained the reasoning behind the Big Ten's push for a 24-team format that would include automatic qualifiers.

One possible model that has been considered is four guaranteed spots for each of the Power 4 conferences, two