
The $345 Million Question: Inside College Football’s Push Toward a 24-Team Playoff
ESPN’s reported expansion payment could reshape the CFP, but lost conference title games complicate the economics.
Read the analysisThe business behind college sports
Independent analysis of the revenue, media deals, facilities and financial decisions shaping college athletics.
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Reporting that puts the number in context—without the booster spin or conference talking points.

ESPN’s reported expansion payment could reshape the CFP, but lost conference title games complicate the economics.
Read the analysisThe logo is the most visible asset, but the reported $18–20 million annual package buys far more than four square inches of jersey space.
Read the analysisThe headline tops $200 million, but the reported package mixes cash and apparel. Here is what changes—and what remains unknown.
Read the analysisTennessee, Ohio State and a worked example show why headline value is not the same as cash available to spend.
Read the analysisCollege sports celebrates record revenue. The expense side of the ledger tells a different story.
Read the analysisMedia deals get the headlines. But the business of college athletics runs on far more than television money.
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College Sports Ledger exists to make the business of college athletics understandable. We trace claims back to public records, contracts and credible reporting—then explain the tradeoffs in plain English.
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