The College Football Playoff (CFP) officially agreed on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, to expand its postseason field to 24 teams starting with the 2027 season. This move doubles the current 12-team format and will result in the elimination of conference championship games. While an official announcement on the exact selection process is pending, sources report the field will likely consist of the four Power Four conference champions, the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, and 19 at-large bids.
The transition to a 24-team bracket ends a three-decade era of conference title games, which have been significant revenue drivers for major conferences. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) introduced the first championship game in 1992, and the event recently generated approximately $100 million in annual revenue for the league. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey initially favored a 12- or 16-team model to preserve these games but eventually agreed to the 24-team format preferred by Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and other conference leaders.
Under the new 24-team structure, the top eight seeds will receive a first-round bye. The remaining 16 teams (ranked No. 9 through No. 24) will compete in eight play-in games. To accommodate the larger bracket, the first and second rounds of the tournament will be played at campus sites. The 2027 season semifinals are scheduled for Jan. 13-14, 2028, at traditional bowl sites, with the national championship game set for Jan. 24, 2028, in New Orleans.
The scale of the move is reflected in a new five-year, $17 billion agreement between the CFP and ESPN. This deal is expected to provide an additional $320 million annually on top of the existing $1.3 billion rights fee. For individual conferences like the SEC and Big Ten, this extra revenue is intended to offset the $70 million to $80 million lost by canceling their respective championship games. For the viewer, this means 23 total postseason games compared to the 11 games featured in the 12-team model. While CFP Executive Director Rich Clark acknowledged that many fans are not in favor of expansion, the committee prioritized creating what he described as a "spectacular Playoff" over maintaining the smaller field.
The knock-on effects will be felt in regular-season scheduling and the broader college sports economy. To qualify for the new format, the CFP is expected to implement new regular-season requirements, such as requiring at least 10 games against power-conference opponents. The elimination of conference title games also removes a major television product that ESPN previously held individual rights to for the ACC, Big 12, and SEC. Moving forward, the 2026 season will serve as the final year of the 12-team format. The first 24-team bracket will be selected in December 2027, with the quarterfinals held on Dec. 31, 2027, and Jan. 1, 2028.