CFP expansion: No decision expected from Miami meeting as leaders remain deadlocked

College Football Playoff (CFP) executives failed to decide on expanding the tournament beyond the current 12-team format during a meeting in Miami Beach. The Big Ten and SEC, key stakeholders in the decision, remain divided, with the Big Ten advocating for a 24-team format and the SEC supporting a 16-team format. This disagreement persists despite a looming deadline set by ESPN, which has extended it to January 23 but will not grant further extensions.

The Big Ten proposed a temporary compromise, suggesting a transition from a 16-team to a 24-team format, but other conferences, including the ACC and Big 12, along with the SEC, favor a 16-team "5+11" model, offering automatic bids to the top five conference champions. The impasse means that if no consensus is reached by Friday, the playoff will remain at 12 teams.

The CFP's contract with ESPN allows annual changes to the format, meaning any decision could be revisited each year. Discussions