HOUR | The CFP is expanding & conference champions are GONE, Grayson Mann reacts to Clemson's win over Syracuse, & Daily Wires | WIRE 2 WIRE 11 9 26 HOUR 2

SPEAKER_1 (0:08)

Well, Cole, it was always going to come to this. We were always going to expand past 12 I don't think anybody saw it happening this quickly, with just three years of the 12-team college football playoff. But it became officially official at 10 56 a.m. this morning when Heather Denich of espn.com reported the college football playoff and ESPN have signed a five-year deal that will expand the playoff to 24 teams next season with ESPN as its continued broadcast partner. The contract is worth $1.7 billion.

And here's the biggie, Cole. Conference championship games will be eliminated.

Cole Bryson (0:49)

Well, I have a couple of thoughts on this, of course, one or two, but can you repeat that part about the word started with a B because a lot of people are going to be upset. Rightfully so.

SPEAKER_1 (1:01)

1.7 boatloads of cash.

Cole Bryson (1:04)

Why is the college football playoff expanding?

SPEAKER_1 (1:06)

$1.7 billion.

Cole Bryson (1:09)

Just so we're all on the same page, let's set the dinner table. Thanksgiving's coming up here real soon. Let's set the table first. Before we dive into this Turkeyan dressing, it's being expanded $1.7 billion when you get mad and ask, well, why?

There's your why. And now we can have the conversation as to, oh, okay, you're right. I'm ready for 68, 64

SPEAKER_1 (1:35)

What is the, I guess the question is how much is ESPN willing to spend on this? Because ESPN, they don't want to give up exclusivity.

Cole Bryson (1:45)

Right.

SPEAKER_1 (1:45)

I mean, Fox is a huge player in this. Fox would certainly love to be, and remember when these conversations first started months ago?

Cole Bryson (1:53)

Yeah.

SPEAKER_1 (1:54)

The conversation was how do they split this between ESPN and Fox? ESPN obviously has its contracts with the SEC and the ACC. Fox has its contract with the Big Ten. They would certainly love to be able to wet their beaks on this, but no ESPN exclusive broadcast partners for five years. What happens at the end of that five years? Are they willing to continue putting up $1.7 billion?

Are they going to want to expand this thing to 32? Are they willing to go up to? I'm not great on the math here, the ratios, whatever that is, $2.5 billion, $3 billion to make a 32? Because you know that's going to happen. Well, I guess the question is how long are we going to be able to stay at 24 before we want to expand to 32?

Cole Bryson (2:42)

And again, I think I have a million thoughts on this, but I think we have to as college football fans. And if you're listening today, I hope you hear and understand this and remember this. We talked about this a couple of years ago at ACC kickoff.

We have to remember first and foremost that the people who are making decisions when it comes to the sport of college football do not think the same way you and I do as a fan. They don't care what you and I want as a fan.

SPEAKER_1 (3:11)

They don't really care about the football.

Cole Bryson (3:12)

They're not having the football conversations. The conversation we had a couple of weeks ago about, well, when you expand, Ohio State, Indiana isn't going to be as consequential. They don't care. They simply don't. So that's first and foremost. When you talk about the future of the sport, the B word you used, it is completely revolving around money. And what we want is college football fans. What we want is media. Guess what?

Those days are so long gone, it's not even funny. We will never go back to what we want as college football fans. We're going to have to get used to this.

SPEAKER_1 (3:50)

Now they are hoping beyond a hope, Cole, that something like what happened last year with Miami sneaking in and making a run all the way to the championship game in the 12 slot, they're hoping beyond hope that happens again.

That somewhere, someone in the 20s, I think they want it. I think they want to see a 23 or 24 seed, make that magical run, so that they can be right, and so that they can use it as justification. Oh, well, if the 24 seed can go on this run, what about a 27, 28, 29, 30 seed? What about that? By the way, that is one of the changes that is being proposed. We could go from a top 25 to a top 30 That might be the official new metric. We'll get into exactly what is coming up here in just a second.