The College Football Playoff is shelving expansion for at least the next four years, a decision that likely leaves hundreds of millions in revenue on the table.
The news, announced Friday, comes after months of in-fighting among conference commissioners about how and when to expand the four-team playoff, which currently distributes about $500 million each year to schools and conferences around the country. At one point, imminent expansion looked like a done deal, but the group has been unable to agree on a model that suits everyone.
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The most popular expansion scenario, a 12-team model that would have added four more bowl games to the rotation, was projected to be worth an additional $450 million in television revenue just in 2024 and 2025. That’s before additional money from sponsorships, ticket sales and other streams.
The sticking points in expansion talks included the number of added teams, preexisting conference-bowl relationships, and consensus on which…