College Football Playoff expanding to 24 teams starting next year
The College Football Playoff will double its field from 12 to 24 teams beginning next season, ending the three-decade era of Power Four conference title games. Five programs will earn automatic bids—the champions of the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC, along with the top-ranked Group of Six team—while a selection panel chooses the remaining 19. Independent programs like Notre Dame will no longer receive postseason qualification guarantees.
Broadcaster ESPN agreed to a five-year, $1.7 billion deal for the 11 additional postseason games, supplementing an existing $7.8 billion contract that runs through 2031. This revenue is projected to offset the estimated $345 million previously generated by conference title games, while relieving ESPN of $140 million in obligations tied to their cancellation.
The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes, and the first two rounds will be held on campus sites starting the second weekend in December. The traditional Army-Navy game moves to the first weekend of December into the former title game window. CFP board chair and Mississippi State president Mark Keenum welcomed the expansion, which was backed by the SEC and Big Ten to reward more members managing $50 million rosters and NIL spending.
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