Joel Klatt believes ESPN’s exclusive control of the College Football Playoff is doing the sport more harm than good.
The network has become the home of college football’s postseason, airing every College Football Playoff game and the majority of bowl matchups. While others share regular-season rights, the playoff itself has remained under a single broadcast partner. It's a structure Klatt argues limits both presentation and perspective.
The longtime college football analyst for FOX Sports criticized the model on his show, saying no postseason of that magnitude should belong to one network.
“They chose the wrong path when it comes to the presentation of this playoff,” Klatt said. “There is no playoff that should be a single television partner. It just shouldn’t.”
Klatt said the issue goes beyond simple network rivalry. He argued that spreading top games across multiple broadcasters would elevate production quality and provide balance, particularly when one network has deep ties to a single conference.
“Let’s face it, it’d be better if every network was giving an A-level broadcast versus a single presenter,” Klatt said, referencing ESPN’s longstanding SEC relationship. He added the same criticism would apply if FOX controlled the entire playoff.
“That wouldn’t be good for the sport either,” Klatt said.
The National Football League is a model, where CBS, FOX and NBC share postseason responsibilities, including conference championship games.
As college football continues to evolve under the expanded playoff format, Klatt suggested a similar multi-network approach could better serve the sport’s long-term growth and credibility.
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