ESPN-NFL deal likely spells change for CFP schedule

[Blake Munroe]

From AwfulAnnouncing.com:

A week after the announcement that ESPN and the NFL would partner in a mega-deal, which will see the league take an equity stake in the dedicated sports network, there are still plenty of questions to be sorted out. Perhaps the most pressing is a potential regulatory battle the transaction may face from the Trump administration.

But there’s plenty of other knock-on effects for a deal this big. One such impact might center around the scheduling of the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Many will remember last year, the first of the expanded 12-team playoff, there were some significant scheduling conflicts with the NFL during the first round. Prior to the expanded playoff, that Saturday had traditionally belonged to the NFL, with the 12-team format, that changed. The CFP played three games that Saturday, two of which went directly against an NFL doubleheader the same afternoon.

But with the recent deal between ESPN and the NFL, there’s now a direct link between the two competing football entities. ESPN, of course, is the exclusive broadcaster of the CFP. Now, the NFL will likely own part of ESPN as soon as next year. Whereas a stalemate between the two sides for ownership over that weekend may have been a reasonably likely outcome prior to this deal, it now seems less likely.

The question is, which side will win out?

Read the full article here:

https://awfulannouncing.com/college-football/espn-nfl-deal-cfp-first-round-schedule.html