CFP Expansion Could Raise Stakes for Coaches, Buyout Costs

As the push for an expanded College Football Playoff gains momentum, the implications for college football coaches and their salaries have become a focal point. The recent discussion on ESPN's College Gameday highlighted the financial motivations behind the proposed deal, with ESPN reporter Pete Thamel explaining that money is the driving force behind the expansion, but ultimately, it is the coaches who are pushing for it.

According to Thamel, the proposed deal would bring in an additional $345 million from ESPN to the playoff and distribute it among conferences, including 19 at-large bids, Power 4 conference champions, and the highest-ranked Group of 6 school. He attributed the pressure from coaches to athletic directors and presidents, stating that conferences like the Big Ten and SEC are spending an average of $30 million per roster and desire access to more teams.

Analyst Kirk Herbstreit further emphasized that coaches are driving the demand for more teams due to the fear of not making the playoffs and facing potential job termination. This season, there has been a notable lack of coaching changes, with zero FBS coaches being let go before October 1, excluding the 2020 season affected by COVID-19.

In fact, there were four coaches fired last season at this point in time, with a combined buyout exceeding $65 million. To put the financial impact of the proposed expansion into perspective, the total buyout money for head coaches and assistant coaches since the CFP's inception in 2014 has approached $1 billion, according to estimates by Front Office Sports.

The buyout amounts have been steadily increasing over the past 12 fiscal years, with the most recent year, 2025, projected to reach $185 million. Nick Saban, a prominent figure in college football, expressed his concerns about the potential consequences of expansion, warning that while it may provide job security for some coaches, it will also raise fan expectations, and if a team fails to make the playoffs, they could face termination.