C​​FP mandates player availability reports beginning next season in push for transparency

The College Football Playoff (CFP) is set to require official availability reports for players beginning with the 2025–26 season in a decision that brings college football closer to professional levels of transparency and scrutiny.

CFP has launched a program designed to increase transparency and preserve the integrity of its games that will provide weekly and pregame updates on the status of all players participating in CFP games. It follows in the footsteps of the SEC and Big Ten, where similar protocols had already been installed, and it is a big departure from an era when programs dished out injury and participation information without much penalty.

Transparency in CFP injury reports and game-day updates

Playoff teams, per the new CFP mandate, will be required to report injuries mid-week, with each player denoted as “available,” “questionable,” or “out.” Following a system similar to the NFL and SEC, the reports will be published publicly and updated again prior to kickoff at 90 minutes. The intent is to reduce ambiguity about player availability and to level out the playing field for all CFP participants by, for example, standardizing information that previously had come out on different levels or had not been revealed at all.

The premise of increased transparency is also part of an effort to curb the growing impact of sports betting in college sports. The CFP believes its plan, with player statuses publicly available in centralized reports, will diminish the incentive to leak information from insiders and also cut off the unfair advantages enjoyed by those with access to such information behind the scenes. This is a forward-thinking move to safeguard not only the sport but the players from outside influences.

Compliance, enforcement, and impact on college football betting

As a result, accurate injury updates have become integral to fairness and credibility as sports betting has seen a significant rise in legalization. Organizers of CFPs will fall under enforcement models along the lines currently used by the SEC, where penalties begin at $25,000 for non-compliance and climb with repeat offenses. This framework for accountability is intended to discourage teams or coaches from concealing critical player information or providing false updates, tactics that could manipulate betting lines and competitive balance.Also Read: Boston College gives first official look at new football uniforms for 2025 seasonThe CFP is shining a brighter light on this and assisting the sports world with increased transparency by requiring an official availability report to keep pace with this ever-increasing gambling environment. Rather, system features are already being trumpeted by people such as Kirby Smart, who said the system "relieves pressure on our kids," who frequently hear from gamblers or media outsiders. How the CFP handles this will probably be unprecedented for postseason football and might also set a precedent in the rest of the NCAA landscape.