If you’ve been betting on college football and trying to decode cryptic coach-speak about player injuries, there’s good news coming your way.
Starting next season, the College Football Playoff will require teams to submit player availability reports before each game, a move that could reshape how fans, bettors, and insiders navigate the sport.
This shift didn’t come out of nowhere. With legalized gambling now fully woven into the fabric of sports culture, the days of total secrecy around injuries are quickly disappearing. College football is finally catching up with the reality that transparency isn’t just helpful, it’s necessary.
Cracking Down On Inside Info
According to Brett McMurphy of The Action Network, CFP executive director Rich Clark announced the new policy this week. While the CFP didn’t clarify whether it will follow the Big Ten or SEC’s reporting formats, there will definitely be no more silent sidelines when it comes to who’s playing and who’s not.
This isn’t just about competitive balance. It’s about protecting the integrity of the sport. For years, insiders could profit from non-public player information, especially as sports betting exploded nationwide. Now, with structured availability reports, that edge shrinks dramatically.
The CFP will begin requiring player availability reports, along the lines of the Big Ten and SEC have done in recent seasons, says CFP exec Rich Clark.
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) June 18, 2025
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The Big Ten already took a step in this direction. In 2023, it partnered with U.S. Integrity, an independent watchdog group that monitors betting activity. “The well-being of our students, coaches, and staff, as well as the integrity of our competitions are of paramount importance,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti at the time. He emphasized that the reporting initiative helps protect both the people on the field and the legitimacy of the results.
The SEC joined the movement in 2024. Now, with the College Football Playoff board making this a postseason standard, pressure is mounting for every other conference to fall in line.
This new requirement may not completely eliminate the risk of gambling-related manipulation, but it’s a serious step in the right direction. By pulling back the curtain, the CFP is not only responding to the betting landscape, it’s setting a new tone for how college football handles transparency.
If the biggest stage in college football demands disclosure, there’s no excuse for any league to stay silent. Every bettor, and frankly every fan, benefits from knowing the score before the game even starts.
Also Read: Three Big-Name College Football Programs Are Reportedly Set For Major Conference Realignment
