College Football
College Football Playoff moves closer to a 24-team field
ESPN and the playoff have reached a handshake agreement that would double the field starting in 2027, sources told ESPN. Approvals and a written contract are still to come.
The College Football Playoff has reached a "handshake agreement" with ESPN to broadcast a 24-team playoff beginning in the 2027 season, sources told ESPN on Friday. The agreement is not final. Significant work remains on the written contract, and every party involved has to approve it.
If it holds, the field would double in size just two seasons after the playoff grew from four teams to 12.
What is being proposed
ESPN reports that final details have not been announced. Discussions have centered on three kinds of spots: the Power 4 conference champions, as each league decides them; the highest-ranked Group of 6 team; and 19 at-large teams. The Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the talks, reported that the at-large teams would be picked by the selection committee.
Under the plan ESPN described, the top eight seeds would get a first-round bye and then host a game. Seeds nine through 16 would host first-round games. The AP reported that the first two rounds would be played on campuses. The New Year's Six bowls are still expected to host the quarterfinals and semifinals, and the national championship game would stay in January.
The new format is also expected to do away with the Power 4 conference championship games and start the season one week earlier, according to ESPN.
Who is driving it
The Big Ten has been the strongest backer of a 24-team field, ESPN reports. Commissioner Tony Petitti has pushed back on the idea that a bigger field will hurt the regular season, saying the system includes "tiered incentives." He has argued that the bye, home games and the race to land in the top 24 give more teams something to play for in November.
CBS Sports reports that the Big Ten and SEC hold final say over the playoff format. The SEC was the slowest to come around. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said earlier this month that "there's an openness to playoff expansion" in the SEC. He has also raised questions about protecting the value of the regular season and fitting extra games into the calendar.
What it could mean for fans and bubble teams
More teams would stay in the race longer. A team with a loss or two in late October would have a much better chance of staying alive. That is the main argument from supporters, including ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, who said earlier this year that the field should include deserving bubble teams.
Seeding would matter in a new way. ESPN notes that teams around Nos. 17 and 18 would want to climb into the top 16 and earn a home game. Teams near the bottom of the field would be fighting to hold their spot. Under the Group of 6 plan, the top team from those conferences would be guaranteed a place.
The AP reports the expanded playoff would include 12 more games than the current format.
The money and the objections
ESPN reports the network would pay an average of $345 million more per year for the expanded playoff, on top of what it already pays. Because the network would stop airing three conference title games it owns, ESPN's real added cost would be less. Fox is also expected to be compensated for losing the Big Ten title game, ESPN reports.
Critics say the bigger field would water down the regular season and push aside the conference championship games. A USA TODAY column by Matt Hayes this week argued that ending the SEC title game would hurt the league's television product and that the added first-round games could draw weaker audiences. Sankey has also pointed to a tight calendar. A bill in Congress would require the season to end by Jan. 8, and he has said the schedule would need places to play every game.
What is still unconfirmed
The format details are reported as under discussion, not settled. The playoff said in a statement on Thursday that it would share more on format and media rights "when appropriate." Still unclear is how conference championship money would be handled, how the extra games would fit on the calendar, and whether every school and league board will sign off. Edge Rush Daily will update this story when the CFP or its conferences announce a decision.
Sources: ESPN (Heather Dinich and Pete Thamel reporting, Oct. 16, 2026); The Associated Press via the Altoona Mirror, Oct. 16, 2026; CBS Sports; The Washington Post; USA TODAY; Yahoo Sports; and the College Football Playoff statement as quoted by ESPN. The agreement is based on anonymous sources and has not been confirmed by the parties.