Joel Klatt, one of college football’s most recognized voices during the regular season, was noticeably absent from the first 12-team College Football Playoff. ESPN holds exclusive rights to the playoff games, even producing the matchups it had leased to Warner Bros. Discovery. Klatt’s absence highlights how broadcasting rights affect which networks and analysts are involved in major postseason events.
Klatt’s Take on Being Left Out
ESPN holds exclusive broadcasting rights to the College Football Playoff through the 2031-32 season, which means Fox will remain on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. Klatt, who works for Fox, has expressed that he would love to see his network secure a share of the CFP coverage.
Klatt told Barrett Media’s Derek Futterman that he would love for Fox to have playoff games. “I’d love to be a partner,” Klatt said. “I would love if Fox had some of these playoff games. I would do anything to do one of these playoff games.”
He praised the expanded playoff, saying it gave teams like Indiana, Arizona State, and Boise State a chance to compete. “These teams got to have a playoff run and their time in the sun, and rightly so,” Klatt added.
There are a few possible ways Klatt could announce College Football Playoff (CFP) games, even though ESPN holds exclusive broadcasting rights through the 2031-32 season. While there have been reports that other networks, including Fox, are interested in future CFP rights, no official bid from Fox has been confirmed.
Another option could be a sublicensing agreement, as ESPN has allowed other networks to air certain games in the past, but there’s no indication this will happen with the CFP.
Even if those opportunities don’t happen, Klatt could still be involved by contributing to Fox Sports’ pre-game, halftime, or post-game coverage. Networks often provide analysis even when they don’t have broadcasting rights, so Klatt’s insight and experience could still be valuable during CFP season. While these are just possibilities, they represent real opportunities for Klatt to fulfill his goal of announcing CFP games in the future.
While Fox’s best chance soon might be for ESPN to lease some playoff games, things could look very different over the next seven years—especially in the ever-changing college football world. The current College Football Playoff format is set to expire after the 2025-26 season, and many expect that another expansion is likely.
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If the playoff expands by even two games, it would give ESPN more games to work with, particularly in the early rounds. That could open the door for ESPN to consider a deal with Fox, similar to the one it made with Warner Bros. Discovery through the now-closed Venu Sports project. While nothing is certain, these changes could create a path for Klatt to finally get a shot at announcing playoff games.
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