Deion Sanders Proposes CFP Rule Change for Players to Earn NFL-Style Bonus Money

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has an idea to reward players whose teams make the College Football Playoff.

Speaking to The Associated Press on Thursday, Coach Prime suggested an NFL-style bonus structure for players if their team makes the playoff because then "it's equality, now it's even and every player is making the same amount of money."

Sanders' pitch comes amid some disagreement about the structure of the College Football Playoff going forward.

This season will retain the 12-team playoff format from 2024, but matchups will be determined only by seeding rather than giving the top four conference champions a first-round bye.

There has been talk that the playoff will expand to 16 teams in 2026. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported earlier this month that the Big Ten has considered proposing a playoff expansion to include 24 or 28 teams, with the Big Ten and SEC receiving seven automatic bids. The ACC and Big 12 would get five automatic bids, leaving two automatic bids for non-Power 4 conference teams and two at-large bids.

The SEC has been pushing back against the Big Ten's desire for a playoff format that splits so many automatic bids between the two conferences.

There has also been some concern voiced in the past that top NFL draft prospects could opt out of playing in the playoff because of how many games it is adding to the schedule and increasing the risk of injury.

While there's no guarantee a playoff bonus structure would stop players from opting out of games, giving them additional incentive to play couldn't hurt.

Players for all 14 teams that make the NFL postseason receive a bonus share. The payout increases the deeper into the playoffs the team goes, with members of the Philadelphia Eagles receiving $171,000 for their victory in Super Bowl 59.