Bowl leaders hope for CBA to help lower opt-outs
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Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Writer
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As revenue sharing with college athletes becomes a growing possibility, some bowl leaders are already hoping for a collective bargaining agreement with the players that would help significantly lower the number of postseason opt-outs.
Nick Carparelli, executive director of Bowl Season, told ESPN at the Fiesta Bowl Spring Summit this week that his understanding from speaking with conference commissioners and NCAA president Charlie Baker is that NIL collectives are destined to be brought in-house and there have been discussions about contracts in exchange for NIL payments.
“If you sign a contract and receive compensation, you’re obligated to perform certain duties — in this case, play 12 regular-season games and a bowl game or a bowl game and the playoff,” he said. “That’s logical to expect. It’s the way the rest of us working folks operate.”
Fiesta Bowl executive director and CEO Erik Moses agreed, adding that he isn’t insensitive to the risks the players and agents might take.
“Think about the industry that we’re in,” Moses told ESPN. “We put on live events. You come to see the talent. If the main talent isn’t there — you go see the Stones and Mick Jagger’s not playing, are you really seeing the Stones? We want the best talent to be involved in those matchups and those games and those events. That’s what people are paying to see.
“Yes, they care about the name on the front of the jersey probably more than the name on the back; that’s the special thing about college sports and college football,” he said. “But you want to see the best guys play, and I think the only way we get to that is through a collective bargaining agreement and employment contracts that require you to play in the postseason if you’re healthy.”
Carparelli said Bowl Season doesn’t officially track the number of opt-outs, but he estimated it has been about eight players per team who choose not to play in their bowl game because of the transfer portal, NFL draft or any other reason.
Moses said he expects the new 12-team College Football Playoff to help lower the number of opt-outs this fall because more teams will be playing for the national title — not just another postseason win.
“… You want to see the best guys play, and I think the only way we get to that is through a collective bargaining agreement and employment contracts that require you to play in the postseason if you’re healthy.”
Fiesta Bowl executive director and CEO Erik Moses
“You’re not just coming to the Fiesta Bowl to win the Fiesta Bowl and that’s it,” he said. “Now, you’re going to abandon your brothers, your teammates when you have a chance to win the national championship? That’s something those guys remember for the rest of their lives. You’re a part of history at that point.”
Carparelli said the 12-team format won’t require the elimination of any bowls currently in operation, but he noted that if the CFP eventually expands to 14 teams in 2026 and beyond, one might be cut. Bowl Season includes a total of 44 games, including 35 “traditional” bowls, the New Year’s Six bowls, the national title game, the Celebration Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl.
“That’ll be interesting to see,” he said. “Certainly, with two extra teams going to the playoff, that may mean one less bowl game involved.”
The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will host a CFP quarterfinal game this year on Dec. 31 in the debut of the 12-team playoff. For the 2025 season, the Fiesta Bowl will host a semifinal on Jan. 8, 2026.
Moses said he has no reason to believe the New Year’s Six bowls won’t be included in future iterations of the CFP in 2026 and beyond.
“I think that we are at a point right now where we are challenging tradition of this sport in almost every way possible,” he said. “And the tradition of college football and college athletics, in my mind, is a key element to the affinity that people have for the sport, and I think we need to look for commonsense ways to preserve as much of that tradition as we can while also giving ourselves the latitude to innovate. I think the expansion of the playoff is a great innovation. I think the inclusion of the bowls as the kind of the meat of those playoffs is a great compromise between the consistency of tradition, while still innovating, and in my mind, that’s the sweet spot.”
Each of the teams in the Eastern Conference playoff mix has 15 to 17 games remaining in the regular season.
Three teams in the Atlantic Division have all but clinched their spots — the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning — and two from the Metro are essentially shoo-ins, the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes. The New Jersey Devils are knocking on that door, and a current three-game winning streak certainly helps.
The Ottawa Senators have opened up a nice gap as the first wild card, with 75 points and 26 regulation wins in 65 games. Beyond them, things get interesting.
The Columbus Blue Jackets technically are in the second wild-card spot thanks to getting to 70 points in fewer games played (65) than the New York Rangers (66). The Montreal Canadiens (69 points) are right behind them, followed by the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins, both with 68 points.
If it comes down to the regulation-wins tiebreaker at season’s end, the Rangers have an upper hand over all the rest, with 29 in that column, compared with 23 for the Jackets, Red Wings and Bruins, and just 22 for the Habs.
Four of the five teams are in action Saturday:
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The Bruins host the Lightning at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
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The Canadiens host the Panthers also at 7 p.m. (NHL Network)
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The Blue Jackets face the visiting Rangers also at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
And if they have their sights set on catching the Senators, these clubs are all rooting for the Maple Leafs, who host Ottawa (7 p.m., ESPN+). It’s a great night for multiple streaming devices!
There is a lot of runway left until April 17, the final day of the regular season, and we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Calgary Flames
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings
Saturday’s games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Vegas Golden Knights at Buffalo Sabres, 12:30 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh Penguins, 3 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+)
Washington Capitals at San Jose Sharks, 5 p.m.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
Florida Panthers at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. (NHLN)
Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
New York Rangers at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
Nashville Predators at Los Angeles Kings, 8 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m.
Friday’s scoreboard
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Detroit Red Wings 2
Edmonton Oilers 2, New York Islanders 1 (OT)
Winnipeg Jets 4, Dallas Stars 1
Colorado Avalanche 4, Calgary Flames 2
Anaheim Ducks 2, Nashville Predators 1
Seattle Kraken 4, Utah Hockey Club 2
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 105.6
Next game: @ MTL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: vs. OTT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 17
Points pace: 99.7
Next game: @ BOS (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 17
Points pace: 94.6
Next game: @ TOR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 87.1
Next game: vs. FLA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 10%
Tragic number: 34
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 84.5
Next game: vs. VGK (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 11.1%
Tragic number: 31
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 83.2
Next game: vs. TB (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 8%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 56
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 71.8
Next game: vs. VGK (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 23
Metro Division
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 116.8
Next game: @ SJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 104.4
Next game: @ PHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 15
Points pace: 95.5
Next game: @ PIT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 97.1%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 88.3
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 19.2%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 87.0
Next game: @ CBJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 41%
Tragic number: 33
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 83.3
Next game: vs. FLA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 12.7%
Tragic number: 31
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 78.3
Next game: vs. CAR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1.7%
Tragic number: 25
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 77.2
Next game: vs. NJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.6%
Tragic number: 23
Central Division
Points: 96
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 117.5
Next game: @ SEA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 108.5
Next game: @ COL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 15
Points pace: 101.6
Next game: vs. DAL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 98.2
Next game: vs. STL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 94.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: @ MIN (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 22.7%
Tragic number: 31
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: @ VAN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 31.8%
Tragic number: 31
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 71.9
Next game: @ LA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 21
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 60.9
Next game: @ VAN (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 11
Pacific Division
Points: 85
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 17
Points pace: 107.2
Next game: @ BUF (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 99.4
Next game: @ NYR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.4%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 101.2
Next game: vs. NSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.4%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 89.6
Next game: @ TOR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 29.2%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 89.6
Next game: vs. CHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 22.9%
Tragic number: 35
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 80.8
Next game: @ STL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 27
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 75.9
Next game: vs. WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 22
Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 55.1
Next game: vs. WSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 5
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 56
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 64
Regulation wins: 18
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 66
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 21
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 29
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
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