College Football: Playoff expands to 24 teams in 2027
ESPN and the CFP signed a $1.7 billion five-year contract that doubles the number of teams in the championship bracket.
By Grace Almasi ·
The College Football Playoff and ESPN finalized a five-year agreement on Monday that doubles the tournament field from 12 to 24 teams starting in the 2027 season. The deal is valued at $1.7 billion, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, and secures ESPN as the primary broadcast partner for the expanded format.
The CFP Management Committee approved the change unanimously. The new structure guarantees spots for the four conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. One additional slot goes to the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, Mountain West, Pac-12, or Sun Belt conferences. The remaining 19 spots are allocated to the highest-ranked teams in the final CFP rankings.
The expansion eliminates the Power 4 conference championship games, including the SEC Championship Game. The 35th and final edition of that game is scheduled for December 6 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey described the upcoming game as a celebration of the event’s history. “The SEC Football Championship Game has been a defining event in college football for more than three decades,” Sankey said.
The 2027-28 Playoff schedule will begin in the first full week of December. The final regular season games occur on November 27. Seeds nine through 16 will host First Round games against seeds 17 through 24 on their home campuses. These early rounds will be played on Thursday through Saturday. The top eight seeds will have two open weeks before their first playoff game. Quarterfinals and Semifinals will remain at the six bowl sites: Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, and Sugar.
CFP Executive Director Rich Clark stated the goal is to create a “world-class championship experience” for 24 ranked teams. The format features 16 on-campus games designed to benefit local communities. The CFP stated the expansion aims to increase opportunities for FBS programs and student-athletes to compete for the National Championship.
The organization also adopted new scheduling standards. Power 4 teams must play at least 10 qualifying regular season games, including matchups against other Power 4 teams or Notre Dame. Group of Six teams must play at least 10 games against conference opponents, other Group of Six teams, Power 4 teams, or independents. The Selection Committee will count only one win over an FCS opponent in its rankings.
