The College Football Playoff will begin requiring teams to provide player availability reports for its games next season, following a similar initiative implemented by the Big Ten and SEC in recent seasons.
CFP executive director Rich Clark announced the move Wednesday at the group’s meetings in Asheville, North Carolina, according to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. The CFP did not specify if their model would closely resemble either the Big Ten or the SEC’s approaches to player availability reports, which are typically used for injuries.
In 2023, the Big Ten announced that all teams must submit injury reports at least two hours before kickoff. The availability reports, which are posted online, list athletes as either “questionable” or “out.”
The SEC implemented a similar but more complex measure in 2024. Players are listed under one of four statuses: “out,” “questionable,” “probable,” or “available.” These statuses are submitted on Wednesdays and updated each day leading up to and including the day of the game. The final report must be submitted no later than 90 minutes before kickoff. Schools failing to provide accurate or timely information are subject to increasingly escalating fines.
Big Ten, SEC stalemate headlines College Football Playoff meetings with strength-of-schedule metrics in focus
John Talty
College football coaches have historically resisted publicizing player injury information, fearing it benefits opposing teams. However, the widespread legalization of sports gambling has necessitated more transparency to combat insider gambling, among other issues.
The Big Ten partnered with U.S. Integrity to combat illegal gambling. Their partnership, announced at the same time as their change to player availability injury reports, was designed to help “prevent student-athletes, coaches, and staff from engaging in prohibited sports wagering.”
The College Football Playoff began playing under a 12-team format last season, one that will stay largely intact (other than a seeding adjustment) for the upcoming campaign. The format for 2026 and beyond, however, remains up in the air.
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