College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams Starting in 2027

The College Football Playoff will feature a 24-team field beginning with the 2027 season.

The expansion doubles the size of the current tournament and restructures the schedule. It eliminates the Power 4 conference championship games and moves the Army-Navy game. The regular season will open on August 28, 2027, and conclude on November 27, 2027.

The 24 spots will be filled by the champions of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC. The highest-ranked Group of 6 team also receives a bid. The selection committee will distribute the remaining 19 spots as at-large selections based on its final rankings. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin described the change as a move to "right-size" postseason access. He noted that 68 Power 4 teams and Notre Dame will now compete for 11 specific slots.

The format began taking shape in February 2025 when the Big Ten circulated a proposal. The Big Ten and SEC controlled the negotiations and refused to accept fewer than 24 teams. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz argued that participation in the discussion was necessary to remain relevant. "Once the playoff show starts, if you're not in that discussion, then everything else is meaningless," he said. By summer 2025, the Big 12, ACC, and Notre Dame joined the coalition. The SEC remained the only major conference resisting the 24-team model until it agreed to lose its championship game. That game carries an estimated value of $80 million.

Financial terms were part of the agreement. ESPN, which holds the exclusive rights through 2031, will increase its annual payout by an average of $345 million over five years. This addition brings the total to $1.3 billion. Sources indicate the net new cost is approximately $205 million after accounting for revenue lost from cancelled conference title games. Fox will recover about $50 million annually from the Big Ten game it previously broadcast.

The tournament structure includes specific seeding rules. Seeds 1 through 8 will receive a first-round bye and play their opening game at home. Seeds 9 through 16 will host teams ranked 17 through 24. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti rejected concerns that the extra games would weaken the competition. He pointed to "tiered incentives" and noted that a team without a bye would play a maximum of 17 games, the same total as the current format.

Coaches have dismissed the idea of resting starters during late-season games. Oregon coach Dan Lanning emphasized the high stakes of every result. "Because of the seeding would work, it's so valuable," he said in July. "One loss can be a huge difference in being [seeded] 1 or 5 or 8."

Scheduling requirements will become stricter. Power 4 schools must play at least 10 games against other Power 4 teams or Notre Dame. Group of 6 teams must play at least 10 games against Group of 6, Power 4, or independent opponents. Wins against more than one FCS team will not count toward committee evaluations. Notre Dame benefits from the new rules but loses its guaranteed bid to the playoff.

The new season will begin its playoff phase on December 9, 2027. The national championship game is scheduled for January 24, 2028. The Army-Navy game and the Heisman Trophy presentation are set for December 4, 2027. Quarterfinals will occur from December 31, 2027, to January 1, 2028. Semifinals will be played on January 13 and 14, 2028. Bowl Season executive director Nick Carparelli acknowledged that the majority of the 82 bowl-eligible teams from the previous season would still not make the cut. A Power 4 source described the bowl season as "diluted" by the expansion.