Read in Browser [[link removed]]

Afternoon Edition

January 23, 2026

POWERED BY

The College Football Playoff will not expand beyond 12 teams for the 2026 season. After much speculation and one deadline extension, leaders on the CFP management committee were unable to find common ground.

Plus, UFC fighters are renegotiating their contracts to reflect the new reality under Paramount+.

— David Rumsey [[link removed]] and Griffin Senyek [[link removed]]

College Football Playoff Will Not Expand in 2026 [[link removed]]

Grace Hollars-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff will not expand beyond 12 teams for the 2026 season.

Friday marked the deadline for the CFP management committee—the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua—to inform ESPN of any changes to next season’s format.

“After ongoing discussion about the 12-team playoff format, the decision was made to continue with the current structure,” said CFP executive director Rich Clark in a statement. “This will give the Management Committee additional time to review the 12-team format, so they can better assess the need for potential change. While they all agree the current format has brought more excitement to college football and has given more schools a real shot in the postseason, another year of evaluation will be helpful.”

The committee met Sunday in Miami [[link removed]], but ultimately Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and the SEC’s Greg Sankey, who together must agree on any changes to the CFP, were unable to find common ground.

The SEC continues to prefer a 16-team format with five automatic qualifiers and 11 at-large bids determined by the CFP selection committee. The Big Ten is in favor of an even larger field, potentially up to 24 teams, and multiple automatic bids for top conferences.

While the 2026 CFP will remain at 12 teams, expansion discussions are expected to continue. Under the current CFP contract, Dec. 1 is the annual deadline to inform ESPN of any changes to the next season’s structure, so leaders will have at least the next 10 months to explore more ideas. This year’s deadline was pushed back by nearly two months [[link removed]] in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to find a solution for expansion in 2026.

There are other significant changes [[link removed]] coming to the CFP this year, though.

Instead of the five highest-ranked conference champions receiving automatic CFP bids as in the past two years, new rules will give the champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC automatic CFP bids, regardless of their rankings. The highest-ranked Group of 6 conference champion will also get an automatic bid. If Notre Dame is ranked inside the top 12, it will also receive an automatic bid, which could potentially push out a higher-ranked at-large team.

The CFP is also ending its performance-based revenue-distribution model that saw Miami [[link removed]] this season and Notre Dame [[link removed]] last season each rake in $20 million in bonus money, in addition to big conference-wide payouts. Moving forward, the Big Ten and SEC will earn roughly 29% of CFP revenue each, the ACC 17%, the Big 12 15%, and the Group of 6 conferences collectively 10%.

SPONSORED BY SHEPPARD PRATT

Join Us in February

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end and Walter Payton Man of the Year Arik Armstead are joining the conversation [[link removed]] on Feb. 7 alongside Dr. Harsh K. Trivedi, president and CEO of Sheppard Pratt; Dr. Amber Cargill, director of player wellness at the NFLPA; and other influential voices in sports, media, and business.

Just one day before the Big Game—Future of Sports: The Mental Edge, presented by Sheppard Pratt [[link removed]], will convene leaders from across sports, media, and mental health for brunch and thought leadership programming, designed to explore how organizations can prioritize mental well-being in sports.

Featuring thought-provoking panels and intimate dialogue, the program will unpack the evolving dynamics of mental health in professional sports, the growing role of corporate and philanthropic leadership, and how high-profile moments are enhancing mental health conversations on and off the field.

The event is only two weeks away— request to attend now [[link removed]].

UFC Fighters Looking to Redo Contracts As Paramount+ Deal Begins [[link removed]]

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The UFC on Paramount+ era [[link removed]] starts Saturday, but how it affects fighters’ wallets still remains to be determined.

UFC will take in an average of $1.1 billion per year from the Paramount deal [[link removed]], doubling the amount the promotion earned from its media agreement with ESPN. UFC CEO Dana White [[link removed]] previously told Front Office Sports that the deal is “incredible for the fighters” and would result in the company looking into increasing fighter pay.

UFC fighters typically compete on show-and-win contracts, with fighters having guaranteed pay for fighting and a bonus for winning. But champions and stars have historically also earned a share of pay-per-view revenue. With pay-per-view largely eliminated, some fighters will be losing a key chunk of their pay.

Knock Out Representation president Oren Hodak told FOS that he is renegotiating contracts to reflect the post-PPV reality.

“We are currently working on a new flat rate for some fighters who would have previously earned pay-per-view points,” Hodak told FOS. Hodak represents former champions Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili, along with fan favorites like Kevin Holland and Renato Moicano.

As UFC’s revenue continues to increase, Hodak believes that fighters should indeed be paid more. “I certainly feel that our clients are entitled to a fair piece of the pie,” he told FOS. “I will be presenting our case for these increased earnings and working on new deals for upcoming bouts.”

Multiple fighters have chimed in on how their contract situation has been affected by the Paramount deal, including Conor McGregor. The Irish lightweight has not fought an MMA bout since July 2021, but White has said that he is under consideration to fight on the card that is planned for Trump’s birthday in Washington, D.C., this summer. McGregor appeared on a livestream Sunday and said that due to the deal, he has to renegotiate his contract to fight on the White House card [[link removed]].

“My contract, essentially, is void right now because there’s no more pay-per-view, whereas my contract was based on pay-per-view sales,” McGregor said [[link removed]]. He added that negotiations will begin in February and that he is “very interested to see how it goes.”

The latest fighter to comment was Justin Gaethje, who is fighting in the main event of UFC 324 on Jan. 24. Gaethje spoke at media day on Wednesday and disputed the notion that the deal is already financially benefiting the fighters.

“I hear Daniel Cormier saying that everybody is going to get paid more on this card,” Gaethje said. “I’m not getting one dollar more than I would’ve if this deal didn’t happen.”

White appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday and disputed Gaethje’s version. “Gaethje was offered more money and Gaethje never responded,” he said.

UFC and Gaethje’s agency Dominance MMA could not be reached for comment.

STATUS REPORT Three Up, One Down

Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Rangers ⬆ Texas added to its rotation Thursday, acquiring MacKenzie Gore in exchange for five prospects in a trade with the Nationals. Gore was an All-Star in 2025 and has two years of control remaining.

Fernando Mendoza ⬆ The Heisman winner officially declared for the NFL Draft on Friday. It is widely expected that the Raiders will select Mendoza with the No. 1 pick, which would guarantee him more than $55 million [[link removed]] over the course of his rookie deal.

Álex Palou ⬇ The four-time IndyCar champion was ordered to pay $12 million to McLaren Racing for a breach of contract. McLaren originally sought more than $20 million for losses after Palou, McLaren’s Formula One test driver in 2023, stayed with Chip Ganassi Racing rather than joining McLaren’s IndyCar team.

Oklahoma ⬆ The women’s basketball team upset No. 2 South Carolina, winning 94–82 in overtime on Thursday. It was the first win for the Sooners over the Gamecocks since the 2009–10 season, snapping a three-game losing streak.

LOUD AND CLEAR Trouble in La La Land

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

“I thought it was good, but, you know, somebody could see it another way.”

—LeBron James said Thursday [[link removed]] about his relationship with former Lakers majority owner Jeanie Buss. James’s comments came a day after an ESPN report that outlined years of infighting in the Buss family [[link removed]], including that Jeanie Buss had privately complained about James. The 41-year-old repeatedly said he didn’t “care about the reports.”

“It’s always two sides of the coin,” James said. “How I represented this franchise, and what I wanted to do to represent this franchise since when I got here until now, it’s been with the utmost respect and honor and dignity. And I would say loyalty.”

Editors’ Picks Judge Who Ruled Charles Bediako Eligible Is Six-Figure Alabama Booster [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Bediako can play for Alabama on Saturday against Tennessee. WNBA Could Be Weeks Away From Delaying Season [[link removed]]by Annie Costabile [[link removed]]The league still has not responded to a December proposal from players. TaylorMade CEO Says Company Could Be Sold by End of 2026 [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]The golf-equipment manufacturer is exploring strategic options. DAILY TRIVIA Factle Sports

Can you list the top five highest-paid NFL coaches as of Jan. 20, 2026 (if tied, listed alphabetically by last name)?

PLAY NOW [[link removed]]

Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Games [[link removed]] Show [[link removed]] Shop [[link removed]] Written by David Rumsey [[link removed]], Griffin Senyek [[link removed]] Edited by Katie Krzaczek [[link removed]], Dennis Young [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here [[link removed]].

Update your preferences [link removed] / Unsubscribe [link removed]

Copyright © 2026 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.

460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016