The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The new format would be implemented in 2027 and is pending final approvals, Thamel reports. The College Football Playoff has used a 12-team format since the 2024 season.
The tournament expanded to 12 teams after a 2014-23 run in which only four teams competed. The College Football Playoff management committee met in September to begin discussing another potential expansion.
“The CFP has decided to move forward in its evaluation of potential playoff expansion to 24 teams by beginning a media rights discussion with ESPN,” the committee said in an early September statement. “This does not represent a decision or commitment to expand, but rather an opportunity to engage with ESPN and gather additional information to help determine a path forward.”
–