Former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley is pitching a Group of Five playoff that would be financially backed by private equity, sources tell CBS Sports.
The concept would address — if not be motivated by — disappointment felt by the Group of Five conferences (MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt, American and Conference USA) over revenue distribution shares under the new College Football Playoff media rights agreement. The average program in those conferences will receive $1.8 million per year in CFP revenue beginning in 2026 under the new deal, up from the current $1.5 million payout.
The Group of Five splits 9% of the annual $1.3 billion deal with ESPN. While the payout marks an increase in raw numbers, it is a percentage decrease considering the Group of Five received 22% of the pot in the prior deal (2014-23).
By comparison, the Big Ten and SEC will each receive 29% of …