BusinessDec 9, 2024
NCAA, Media Orgs, and Colleges Seek Game-Winning Touchdown in New 12-Team College Football Playoff
Broadcasting Economics
Noah Weidner
Discover
When it’s time to go big or go home, college football teams aim to do both — after all, home-field advantage is everything. But this year, the sport’s best teams will have to learn how to dominate on neutral turf for more games than ever. In recent years, college football has become a big business — with record TV rights deals, turning tides within athletic conferences, and the rise of name, image, likeness (NIL) reshaping the field. Now, it’s gearing up for its biggest play yet.
This means war: In past years, the top four NCAA teams would play each other for college football’s national title. It’s become an annual expected festivity for the sport’s mainstays. However, this year, things are different. Hoping to capitalize on record viewership and rising interest, the NCAA is launching a larger, 12-team tournament — the College Football Playoffs (CFP). The televised games will increase from three to eleven, bringing in significant revenue for TV’s fastest-growing sport and the media companies investing heavily in its growth.
On Sunday, the CFP selection committee revealed the bracket for the first-ever CFP — with mainstays like Oregon and Georgia taking the top two seeds. Newcomers Boise State, SMU, and Arizona State also secured their first trip to the game’s highest calling. But it’s not just a trophy on the line.
Plus, there’s more: This season has already seen record-breaking ticket prices and turnout for big games, such as Texas at Texas A&M, which garnered a record resale price of over $1K. The forthcoming CFP games could challenge these high prices. As of Dec. 9, tickets for the opening-round Indiana at Notre Dame game are fetching upwards of $900 on resale sites like StubHub. It’s unlikely prices will drop, seeing as they’re expected to rise in the weeks leading to the Jan. 20 CFP National Championship in Atlanta, GA.
