The Billion-Dollar College Football Playoff — Explained The 12-team College Football Playoff isn’t just a postseason tournament anymore. It’s a multi-billion-dollar economic engine. In this episode, Lee & Michael break down the financial architecture of the CFP — how money flows from broadcast contracts to schools, conferences, coaches, players, and host cities in the post-House v. NCAA era.

What we break down:

• CFP base payouts and performance bonuses

• How a title run can generate $20M+ per school

• Conference distribution models (ACC vs SEC vs Big Ten/Big 12)

• Why some schools keep the money — and others don’t

• Coaching bonus clauses and external bonus liability

• How NIL revenue sharing fits into postseason economics

• Player bowl gifts, compensation limits, and what comes next

• Why CFP host cities generate hundreds of millions per game

Key takeaway:
The CFP is now a centralized clearinghouse for media rights, labor costs, incentives, and economic leverage — and if you’re only watching the scoreboard, you’re missing the real game.