DeSantis rips ‘short-sighted’ College Football Playoff expansion

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is not a fan of an expanded college football playoff.

In a social media post on Monday, the Florida governor called the move “short-sighted,” saying it “might bolster profits in the near term but will further erode what has traditionally made college football special.”

ESPN and the College Football Playoff Committee announced earlier in the day that the single elimination postseason tournament would be expanded from 12 to 24 teams beginning with the conclusion of the 2027 season.

With the expansion came an extension of playoff media rights deal with ESPN, totaling more than $1 billion and running through the next five seasons.

DeSantis’s comment comes as lawmakers on Capitol Hill have debated for months major legislation regulating the big business of college sports around issues like the transfer portal; name, image and likeness compensation and media rights.

The “Protect College Sports” Act, a bill passed by the Senate this fall, appears unlikely to pass before the end of the year, with most observers predicting that Democrats winning control of the House and Senate could push the legislation to the backburner.

President Trump has insisted on Congress passing meaningful legislation to address major issues around college sports, and many in his party have bemoaned a growing arms race at top schools fueled in part by prime time postseason match-ups for live television audiences.

The NCAA, which does not operate the College Football Playoff, earlier this year announced it was expanding its annual men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, from 68 to 76 teams.

DeSantis, seen as a possible GOP candidate for president in 2028 , last week called Republican losses in the midterm elections an “extinction level” event for the party.