The College Football Playoff is close to finalizing an agreement to double its postseason field from 12 teams to 24 teams starting with the 2027 season, multiple sports outlets reported Thursday.
ESPN, which holds the broadcast rights to the playoff through 2031, reported that organizers are nearing a deal that is expected to be completed in the near future. Under the emerging terms, ESPN would acquire broadcast packages for the additional postseason matchups, Yahoo Sports reported.
Breakdown of the proposed 24-team format
The proposed bracket would mark the second major expansion of the tournament in recent years. After operating as a four-team invitational from 2014 through 2023, the event expanded to 12 teams beginning in the 2024 season. The current 2026 campaign is the third year under the 12-team arrangement.
According to OutKick, the expanded 24-team bracket is expected to include five automatic bids and 19 at-large selections:
- One automatic bid for each champion of the Power Four conferences.
- One automatic bid reserved for the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences.
- Nineteen at-large berths determined by national rankings.
- On-campus matchups for the opening two rounds of the postseason tournament.
ESPN currently sublicenses a portion of the existing playoff games to TNT, which broadcasts two first-round contests, two quarterfinals and one semifinal this season, Yahoo Sports reported.
Conference alignment and regular-season fallout
Expansion discussions had dragged out over several months as the Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten debated future tournament models. Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti had previously pitched formats guaranteeing set numbers of automatic qualifiers, while SEC officials initially voiced hesitation, USA TODAY Sports reported.
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey indicated a shift in posture during his league’s basketball media days earlier this week.
“There’s an openness to playoff expansion on our part,” Sankey said, adding that he expected an outcome “sooner rather than later.”
A finalized 24-team format is widely expected to alter traditional December schedules. Reports from OutKick and USA TODAY Sports indicate the added round of competition may bring an end to conference championship games after the 2026 season and could reduce the overall number of traditional bowl games.
Scheduling adjustments across the major conferences have already begun to align. The SEC implemented a nine-game conference schedule this season, matching nine-game league calendars already used by the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten and Big 12. SEC teams are also required to play at least one non-conference opponent from a power conference or Notre Dame, and the Big Ten may consider similar non-conference scheduling mandates, OutKick reported.
Next steps before final approval
The College Football Playoff and ESPN originally extended their 30-day expansion negotiation window on Sept. 8 to assess financial and logistical terms, followed by an additional extension announced Oct. 10, USA TODAY Sports reported.
The formal deadline to adopt format changes for upcoming seasons is Dec. 1. While representatives from ESPN and the College Football Playoff planned to meet Thursday to review financial details, organizers have not yet officially published final bracket schedules or confirmed the exact fate of future league title games.
