The College Football Playoff will culminate with the national championship game on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. The first-ever 12-team playoff will end with No. 7 Notre Dame taking on No. 8 Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the overwhelming favorite in the national championship. Ohio State is favored by eight points in the CFP title game, making it one of the biggest point spreads ever in the national championship.
Despite being the overwhelming favorite, Notre Dame may have already won the war before the two teams stepped on the field. That’s because the Fighting Irish are set to earn $20 million in performance bonuses for reaching the CFP national championship game compared to just $2.5 million for Ohio State, eight times more than their opponents next week.
The discrepancy comes from the fact that Notre Dame has independent status and does not belong to a conference, which means it can choose its schedule and doesn’t have to share revenue with other conference members.
Breaking Down Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff Bonuses:
Here’s how Notre Dame earned its CFP payout, per Joe Pompliano.
- $4 million for making the inaugural CFP bracket
- $4 million for reaching the quarterfinals
- $6 million for reaching the semifinals
- $6 million for making the championship game
Does Notre Dame’s Independent Status Give It An Unfair Advantage?
Is Notre Dame’s independent status actually an advantage?
Today’s newsletter includes a deep dive into the TV deals, conference payouts, revenue-sharing agreements, and more.
The conclusion might surprise you.
READ: https://t.co/l9MVSETsE0 pic.twitter.com/BmEraFfLQX
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) January 13, 2025
Before last week’s Orange Bowl, Penn State coach James Franklin criticized the process, claiming Notre Dame had an advantage over other teams.
“This is no knock at [Marcus Freeman] or Notre Dame,” Franklin said, “but I think everybody should be in a conference. I think everybody should play a conference championship game.”
While Franklin may have been citing the scheduling benefits that allowed Notre Dame to reach the College Football Playoff, the monetary benefit might have even longer term implications. With college football transitioning to the NIL model, the richest schools and athletic programs will be able to acquire talent by paying players the most money.
Even though Notre Dame is set to cash in on its first national title game appearance since 2013, it’s hard to feel sorry for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have the most valuable college athletic program in the country.
According to a recent CNBC report, Ohio State’s athletic programs are valued at a whopping $1.32 billion, the most in the NCAA. Only three other schools – Texas, Texas A&M, and Michigan – have athletic programs valued at more than $1 billion.
