College Football Playoff Payouts 2025-2026
Last Updated on January 7, 2026
Revenue for the College Football Playoff is distributed annually according to a pre-determined formula, which is subject to adjustments each year. We update this page annually, so be sure and bookmark it. The current year’s distribution plan is below.
- How much does a team get for making the College Football Playoff in 2025-2026?
- College Football Playoff Seeding
- Actual College Football Playoff Payouts 2014-2023
- Actual College Football Playoff Payouts for 2023-2024
- Two important things to know about bowl game payouts . . .
- Bowl Payouts 2022-23
- Historical Bowl Game Payouts by Year
How much does a team get for making the College Football Playoff in 2025-2026?
For 2025-2026, here’s how much each team will make in the College Football Playoff:
- $4 million for each of the 12 teams that makes the College Football Playoff
- $4 million for each of the 8 teams that makes the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
- $6 million for each of the 4 teams that makes the College Football Playoff Semifinals
- $6 million for each of the 2 teams that makes the College Football Playoff National Championship Game
Additionally, each team who participates in the College Football Playoff receives $3 million to cover expenses for each round.
Additionally, each conference receives $300,000 for each of its schools whose football team meets the NCAA’s APR for participation in a postseason football game. Each independent institution also receives $300,000 if its football team meets the same standard.
College Football Playoff Seeding
The 12 teams selected for the College Football Playoff include the five highest-ranked conference champions (automatic bids) and then the next seven highest-ranked teams (at-large).
In May 2025, the College Football Playoff adopted a straight seeding model, meaning teams will be seeded #1-12 based on ranking with no preference given to conference champions as was done in 2024-25 when the four highest-ranked conference champions were automatically slotted #1-4. The top four seeds will still receive first-round byes.
Actual College Football Playoff Payouts 2014-2023
We also have the actual payouts from the College Football Playoff from previous years:
College Football Playoff Payouts for 2014-2020
College Football Playoff Payouts for 2020-2021
College Football Playoff Payouts for 2021-2022
College Football Playoff Payouts for 2022-2023
Actual College Football Playoff Payouts for 2023-2024
Each of the 10 conferences received a base amount for 2023-2024. For the Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC), the base combined with the full academic performance pool was approximately $79.41 million for each conference. The Group of Five conferences (AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt) received approximately $102.77 million in aggregate (full academic pool plus base). The conferences distribute these funds as they choose. Notre Dame received a payment of $3.89 million by meeting the APR standard; the other six independents shared $1.89 million.
Select conferences in the Football Championship Subdivision received approximately $3.08 million in aggregate.
Conference Distribution Policies for College Football Playoff Payouts for 2023-2024
The financial impact of College Football Playoff participation differs widely depending on conference policy. While some leagues pass most or all CFP revenue directly to the schools playing in the games, others distribute those funds more broadly, allowing non-participants to share in the proceeds.
The ACC revised its CFP distribution model ahead of last season, a change that allows Miami to retain the full $8 million it has earned from the playoff to date. Should the Hurricanes advance, they would also keep the entire $6 million payout associated with each additional round. Under ACC rules, participating teams also receive the CFP’s $3 million per-round travel reimbursement.
In the SEC, CFP payouts are tiered by round. Teams receive $3 million for first-round participation, $3.5 million for quarterfinal appearances, $3.75 million for semifinal games, and $4 million for reaching the national championship. Participating schools also receive a travel stipend for each game, with the amount set by the SEC Executive Committee.
For at least the last few years, the Big 12 has compensated CFP participants through a formula that awarded at least $1.9M (plus travel) for the first two rounds and $2.2 million (plus travel) for the semifinal and championship. However, this year the Big 12 is dividing all revenue equally between conference members.
That’s the approach the Big Ten has always taken with CFP revenues. The Big Ten has confirmed that policy remains in place for 2025-26.
Any CFP revenue not paid directly to participating schools is distributed to conference members according to each league’s standard revenue-sharing formula.
In The American, Tulane’s first-round CFP appearance will generate $8 million in total revenue from the playoff — $4 million from the base CFP payout and an additional $4 million tied to its status as the fourth-highest-ranked conference champion without a bye. Of that amount, $6.1 million will be allocated directly to Tulane, while the remaining $1.9 million will flow into the conference’s shared revenue pool. Tulane will also receive $2 million in travel reimbursements, bringing its total CFP-related earnings to $8.1 million.
Two important things to know about bowl game payouts . . .
#1 Be aware that funds are distributed directly to conferences (with the exception of Independents), which each have their own rules for distribution to individual member institutions. For example, some conferences distribute evenly between all members while others grant bonuses to the participating team.
See here for an explanation of how College Football Playoff revenue flowed down to the four semifinal teams for the 2018-2019 season.
#2 These amounts do not include payouts from individual bowls that have direct contracts with conferences.
Bowl Payouts 2022-23
Payouts from the 2020-21 season from the College Football Playoff are listed here.
I’ve detailed the conference-by-conference payouts from the College Football Playoff for 2020-21 here.
| Bowl | Date | Bowl Matchup | Pay-Out | Fun/Interesting Fact |
| Bahamas Bowl | 12/16/22 | CUSA vs MAC | $225,000 | The inagural Bahamas Bowl in 2014 was the first major bowl game to be played outside the U.S. and Canada since the Bacardi Bowl in Havanna Cuba January 1, 1937. |
| Cure Bowl | 12/16/22 | American, CUSA, MAC, Sunbelt | $573,125 | The Cure Bowl is a platform to help raise capital for individual cancer researchers. |
| Fenway Bowl | 12/17/22 | ACC vs American | Unannounced | The Fenway Bowl is one of four active bowls that is played in a baseball stadium along with the Pinstripe Bowl (Yankee Stadium), the Holiday Bowl (Petco Park), and Guranteed Rate Bowl (Chase Field). |
| New Mexico Bowl | 12/17/22 | MWC vs. CUSA, American, Sun Belt or MAC | $1,050,000 | The winning trophy is a clay pot sculpted Marcellus and Elizabeth Media from the Zia Pueblo; the Outstanding Offensive and Defensive Player Awards were crafted by another Zia Pueblo artist Ralph Aragon who sculpted the awards as shields. |
| Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl | 12/17/22 | MWC #1 vs. PAC-12 #5 | Unannounced | The inagural Jimmy Kimmel Bowl in 2021 was the first collegeiate Bowl played in SoFi Stadium; it is the first bowl named after a person. |
| Cricket Celebration Bowl | 12/17/2022 | MEAC vs. SWAC | $2,000,000 | ESPN partners with The 100 Black Men of Atlanta to manage the game’s ancillary events, which include a Youth Symposium, Robotics Showcase, Gospel Night and Fan Experience. |
| LendingTree Bowl | 12/17/2022 | MAC, Sunbelt, or CUSA | $1,500,000 | The mission of the LendingTree Bowl is to advance tourism and economic impact, provide educational and athletic opportunities to the youth of Mobile. |
| SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl | 12/17/2022 | SEC vs. Pac-12 | $2,900,000 | The Las Vegas Bowl is now the 16th-oldest game overall and ranks No. 13 in age on a list of current bowls that have remained in one city during their entire history. |
| Frisco Bowl | 12/17/2022 | American Athletic Conference, CUSA, MAC, Mountain West Conference, or Sun Belt | $650,000 | The Frisco Bowl is held at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas which is also the home stadium for FC Dallas and the location of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. |
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | 12/19/2022 | MAC, CUSA, or Sun Belt | Unannounced | The Myrtle Beach Bowl will be played at Brooks Stadium, located on the campus of Coastal Carolina. |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | 12/20/2022 | Mountain West vs. MAC | $800,000 | The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is the longest-running cold weather bowl game in college football. |
| Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl | 12/20/2022 | CUSA, MAC, American Athletic Conference, Sun Belt, Mountain West, or Liberty University | $900,000 | This game is played at FAU stadium and is the only stadium that has views of the Atlantic Ocean. |
| R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl | 12/21/2022 | Sun Belt v. CUSA | $825,000 | Game day activities include Dashing through the Dome, a two-mile race through the Superdome. |
| Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | 12/22/2022 | At-large vs. At-large | $1,350,000 | More than 40 military non-profits participate in providing free information and services to help veterans during the tailgate. |
| Radiance Technologies Indepndence Bowl | 12/23/2022 | Army West Point vs. American Athletic Conference | $2,200,000 | Every current member of the SEC except Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky has appeared in the game. |
| Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl | 12/23/2022 | AAC, ACC, Big 12, CUSA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, SEC, independent programs, BYU, or Army | $1,125,000 | Bowl based on the legend of pirate José Gaspar, who allegedly terrorized Florida’s west coast for over four decades. |
| Easypost Hawai’i Bowl | 12/24/2022 | Mountain West v. CUSA | $1,200,000 | This will be the first bowl game since 2020, as last year the bowl had to be cancelled due to issues with COVID. |
| Quick Lane Bowl | 12/26/2022 | Big 10, MAC, or ACC | $2,000,000 | The Detroit Lions, who host the Quick Lane Bowl, is the only professional team to own and operate a bowl game. |
| Camellia Bowl | 12/27/2022 | Sun Belt vs. MAC | $300,000 | This bowl was named after the Alabama state flower, the Camellia. |
| Servpro First Responder Bowl | 12/27/2022 | American, ACC, Big 12 | $824,545 | This bowl honors first responders, which include: police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, correctional officers, search and rescue, dispatchers, secuirty guards federal agents, border patrol agents, and military personal, who are the first to arrive and provide emergency assistance. |
| Ticketsmarter Birmingham Bowl | 12/27/2022 | SEC vs. American | $1,374,545 | The TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl was one of seven bowls to sell out in 2021, and it was the first sell-out in that bowl game. |
| Guaranteed Rate Bowl | 12/27/2022 | Big Ten vs. Big 12 | $1,625,560 | The football game is played in an MLB ballpark in downtown Pheonix. |
| Military Bowl Presented by Peraton | 12/28/2022 | ACC vs. American | $2,066,990 | Proceeds from the bowl, in addition to supporting the USO, also go to Patriot Point which is the Military Bowl Foundation’s 294-acre retreat for wounded, ill and injured service members, their families and caregivers. |
| Autozone Liberty Bowl | 12/28/2022 | Big 12 vs. SEC | $4,700,000 | The AutoZone liberty bowl is the seventh oldest college bowl game. |
| San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl | 12/28/2022 | PAC-12 vs. ACC | $6,532,700 | This is the only bowl game to have a credit union as a title sponsor. |
| Taxact Texas Bowl | 12/28/2022 | Big 12 vs. SEC | $6,400,000 | Taxact recently renewed its title spondsorship of the bowl in a multi-year contract with ESPN Events. |
| Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl | 12/29/2022 | ACC vs. Big Ten | $4,400,000 | The bowl is played on Kentucky Bluegrass at Yankee stadium. |
| Cheez-It Bowl | 12/29/2022 | ACC vs. Big 12 | $6,071,760 | The bowl was originally called the Blockbuster bowl when it was founded in 1990. During the inaugural bowl, Florida State quarterback Casey Weldon completed 22-of-36 passes for 248 yards to lead the Seminoles to a 24-17 win over Penn State. |
| Valero Alamo Bowl | 12/29/2022 | Big 12 vs. PAC-12 | $8,252,740 | In the 30 years that the bowl has been hosted, the combined economic impact of the bowl has been over $950 million, and the contribution to higher education has been over $120 million with the team payouts and scholarships. |
| Duke’s Mayo Bowl | 12/30/2022 | ACC vs. Big Ten | $4,780,461 | In 2021, from September to December, over 755,000 jars of Duke’s Mayo were sold in Charlotte. Because of these sales, a check totaling $15,378 was presented to the NC Hospitality Workers Relief Fund during the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last year. |
| Tony the Tiger Bowl | 12/30/2022 | ACC vs. PAC-12 | $4,550,000 | In the last 86 years of the bowl being played, the bowl has hosted 78 different programs which is more than any other bowl’s history. |
| Taxslayer Gator Bowl | 12/30/2022 | SEC vs. ACC | $5,350,000 | Sixth oldest college bowl game and the first ever to be televised nationally coast-to-coast. |
| Barstool Sports Arizona Bowl | 12/30/2022 | MWC vs. MAC | $350,000 | The first bowl game streamed on Barstool Sports. |
| Capital One Orange Bowl | 12/30/2022 | ACC vs. SEC, Big Ten or Notre Dame | Contract Bowl | The University of Oklahoma has the most Orange Bowl appearances. |
| Transperfect Music City Bowl | 12/31/2022 | Big Ten vs. SEC | $5,700,000 | The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt University’s stadium in 1998. |
| Allstate Sugar Bowl | 12/31/2022 | SEC vs. Big 12 | Contract Bowl | The first Sugar Bowl game was held in Tulane Stadium in 1902. |
| Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl (Semifinal) | 12/31/2022 | Playoff Committee Places Teams | CFB Revenue Pool | The Peach Bowl originated as a fund-raiser for the Lions Clubs of Georgia. |
| VRBO Fiesta Bowl (Semifinal) | 12/31/2022 | Semifinal Site – Playoff Committee Places Teams | CFB Revenue Pool | At the end of the 2007 game, Boise State running back Ian Johnson proposed to his girlfriend; she said yes. |
| Reliaquest Bowl | 1/2/2023 | SEC or Big Ten vs. ACC | $6,400,000 | Iowa and Michigan are tied for the most appearances for the Reliaquest Bowl. |
| Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | 1/2/2023 | Playoff Committee Places Teams | Contract Bowl | TCU won the first Cotton bowl in the 1936-1937 season. |
| Citrus Bowl | 1/2/2023 | Big Ten vs. SEC | $8,224,578 | Nicknamed “Little Bowl with the Big Heart,” given all the proceeds from the game went to charity. |
| Rose Bowl | 1/2/2023 | Semifinal Site – Playoff Committee Places Teams | Contract Bowl | Nicknamed “The Granddaddy of Them All,” it is the oldest bowl game. |
| College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T (SoFi Stadium) | 1/9/2023 | Peach winner vs. Fiesta winner | CFB Revenue Pool | Nick Saban has reached the College Football Playoff National Champtionship the most with six appearances. |
Research assistance provided by Madeline Myers and Darian Kelly
Historical Bowl Game Payouts by Year
2020-2021 College Football Playoff Payouts (actual payouts)
2019-20 College Football Playoff Payouts (actual payouts)
2018-19 College Football Playoff Payouts (actual payouts)
2017-18 College Football Playoff Payouts (actual payouts)
2016-17 College Football Playoff Payouts (actual payouts)
2015-16 College Football Playoff Payouts (actual payouts)
2014-15 College Football Playoff Payouts (actual payouts)
Bowl Championship Series vs. College Football Playoff Payouts