The College Football Playoff will double its size to 24 teams starting with the 2027-28 season, the CFP management committee announced Monday. The decision came from a unanimous vote aimed at broadening access for more FBS programs and their supporters while reshaping the postseason schedule.
Since its launch in 2014 with just four teams, the playoff expanded to 12 teams in 2024. This new expansion will introduce 16 on-campus playoff games, quadrupling the current number of such matches. The committee said in a statement that this change “will bring playoff football to more students and local fans while providing a positive impact for campus communities.”
The format will include automatic bids for conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. The highest-ranked team among the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, or Sun Belt conferences will also earn a spot. The remaining 19 slots will go to the highest-ranked teams in the final College Football Playoff rankings.
Of the 23 playoff games, 16 will be held on home campuses. Currently, only four playoff games take place on campus. The quarterfinals and semifinals will remain at the established sites of the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl.
Rich Clark, the CFP executive director, said, “We will make the 24-team playoff spectacular for the fans, student-athletes, their institutions and all our stakeholders.”
The expansion also affects the timing of Heisman Trophy weekend, which will move one week earlier. The top eight seeded teams in the playoff will receive first-round byes and host second-round games on their campuses. Seeds nine through 16 will host first-round games themselves.
The exclusive media rights deal with ESPN to broadcast CFP games will continue through the 2031-32 campaign. According to ESPN, the contract is valued at nearly $1.7 billion.
The first playoff under the 24-team format will conclude with a championship game on January 24, 2028, in New Orleans. The following year’s final will take place in Tampa, Florida.
The 2026-27 season still uses the 12-team setup, with selection day on December 6 and first-round games on December 18 and 19 hosted on campuses. The title game for that season will be held January 25, 2027, in Las Vegas.
According to Yahoo Sports.