College Football Playoff to expand to 24 teams in 2027
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The long rumored expansion to the College Football Playoff is set to become a reality, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.
Starting in 2027, the playoff field will expand from 12 teams to 24 teams. Details of automatic bids and any adjustments to the postseason schedule will be announced at a later date.
24-team College Football Playoff
Under the new format, it is expected to include eight teams with a first-round bye and eight first round matchups hosted by the higher seeded teams.
According to reporting from Pete Nakos of On3, the new format would include:
- 19 at-large bids
- Auto bid for the top Power Four, Group of 6 champions
- More CFP games on campus
This means to win a national championship, a team would have to win at least four playoff games.
Many people believe the expanded playoff would also mark the end of conference championship weekend.
For the SEC, that would mean halting an event that has been played every year since 1992. A final decision about if the 2026 game will be the final conference championship game could be announced soon.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has been one of the biggest names holding up the expansion in recent months but the idea has been pushed by the Big Ten and backed by other conferences. However, during his appearance at Wednesday’s SEC Tipoff event, Sankey said he expected there to be a resolution “sooner rather than later.”
Reaction to the playoff expansion
Reaction from across the country dominated social media Thursday afternoon.
We want to hear from you! Let us know what you think about the expanded playoff format.
Here are what some people are saying after the initial report:
