06-29-2019, 04:33 PM
Assuming UConn will play as an independent team starting in 2020, I wanted to see what that meant for them and the other independent teams as relates to the College Football Playoff distribution. Would the CFP throw more money into the independent pool now that UConn was an independent team? Or if UConn got a share did that mean the other independent teams (not named Notre Dame) would get paid less? To answer these questions, I started with the CFP distribution guidelines found on their website. The exact amount of money changes each year under the contract, but here is a link to the 2019 payout estimates:
It’s curious to read the distribution guidelines and see it references Notre Dame and the “three” other independents that will share $1.56 million for 2019. We will have more than three other independents in 2019: Army, BYU, Liberty, New Mexico State, and UMass. At the time the CFP contract was drawn, there were 4 independents - Notre Dame, Army, Navy, and BYU, hence the language. Navy moved to the AAC in 2015, UMass became an independent in 2016, and Liberty and New Mexico State became an independent in 2018. This article from Forbes shows the revenue distribution for the non-Notre Dame independents for 2014 through 2017.
2014: $922,658 (Army, Navy, BYU) [$307,552.67 if evenly split]
2015: $618,241 (Army, BYU) [$309,120.50 if evenly split]
2016: $930,462 (Army, BYU, UMass) [$310,154.00 if evenly split]
2017: $928,503 (Army, BYU, UMass) [$309,501.00 if evenly split]
2018: $??????? (Army, BYU, Liberty, NMSU, UMass)
I do not see 2018 numbers posted anywhere, but with the independent pool growing to $1.56 million for the 2019 season, it leads me to think the CFP does add money to the independent pool based on the number of teams that are independent. In fact, taking the 2019 estimate figure and splitting it among 5 teams would seem to be in line with years 2014-2017.
2019: $1,560,000 (Army, BYU, Liberty, NMSU, UMass) [$312,000.00 if evenly split]
So my guess is if UConn is independent in 2020 the CFP would split around $1.9 million among the independent teams not named Notre Dame. UConn could expect to get a little more than $610,000.00; they’d get around $300,000.00 if they had satisfactory APR, and get their split of the independent pot, which if split evenly would probably be between $310,000.00 and $320,000.00.
Quote:The following estimates of the CFP revenue distribution are based on preliminary calculations for the 2019-2020 season and are only approximate projections of potential revenue distribution from each component:
1. Each conference will receive $300,000 for each of its schools when the school's football team meets the NCAA's APR for participation in a post-season football game. Each independent institution will also receive $300,000 when its football team meets that standard.
2. Each of the 10 conferences will also receive a base amount. For conferences that have contracts for their champions to participate in the Orange, Rose, or Sugar Bowl, the base combined with the full academic performance pool will be approximately $66 million for each conference. The five conferences that do not have contacts for their champions to participate in the Orange, Rose or Sugar Bowls will receive approximately $90 million in aggregate (full academic pool plus base), which the conferences will distribute as they choose. Notre Dame will receive a payment of $3.19 million if it meets the APR standard; the other three independents will share $1.56 million.
3. A conference will receive $6 million for each team that is selected for the semifinal games. There will be no additional distribution to conferences whose teams qualify for the national championship game. A conference will receive $4 million for each team that plays in a non-playoff bowl under the arrangement.
4. Each conference whose team participates in a playoff semifinal, Cotton, Fiesta, or Peach Bowl, or in the national championship game will receive $2.43 million to cover expenses for each game.
5. Additionally, certain conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision will receive $2.7 million in aggregate.
It’s curious to read the distribution guidelines and see it references Notre Dame and the “three” other independents that will share $1.56 million for 2019. We will have more than three other independents in 2019: Army, BYU, Liberty, New Mexico State, and UMass. At the time the CFP contract was drawn, there were 4 independents - Notre Dame, Army, Navy, and BYU, hence the language. Navy moved to the AAC in 2015, UMass became an independent in 2016, and Liberty and New Mexico State became an independent in 2018. This article from Forbes shows the revenue distribution for the non-Notre Dame independents for 2014 through 2017.
2014: $922,658 (Army, Navy, BYU) [$307,552.67 if evenly split]
2015: $618,241 (Army, BYU) [$309,120.50 if evenly split]
2016: $930,462 (Army, BYU, UMass) [$310,154.00 if evenly split]
2017: $928,503 (Army, BYU, UMass) [$309,501.00 if evenly split]
2018: $??????? (Army, BYU, Liberty, NMSU, UMass)
I do not see 2018 numbers posted anywhere, but with the independent pool growing to $1.56 million for the 2019 season, it leads me to think the CFP does add money to the independent pool based on the number of teams that are independent. In fact, taking the 2019 estimate figure and splitting it among 5 teams would seem to be in line with years 2014-2017.
2019: $1,560,000 (Army, BYU, Liberty, NMSU, UMass) [$312,000.00 if evenly split]
So my guess is if UConn is independent in 2020 the CFP would split around $1.9 million among the independent teams not named Notre Dame. UConn could expect to get a little more than $610,000.00; they’d get around $300,000.00 if they had satisfactory APR, and get their split of the independent pot, which if split evenly would probably be between $310,000.00 and $320,000.00.