College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams in $1.7 Billion ESPN Deal

The College Football Playoff is about to double in size. The sport's governing body unanimously approved an expansion from 12 to 24 teams on Monday, November 9, 2026, and ESPN signed a five-year deal worth nearly $1.7 billion to carry the bigger tournament, the biggest change to the college football postseason since the playoff began in 2014.

Key Points

• The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams starting with the 2027-28 season, the second expansion since the field grew from four teams to 12 in 2024.
• ESPN signed a five-year deal worth nearly $1.7 billion, about $345 million extra per year, as the exclusive worldwide rightsholder through the 2031-32 season, on top of its existing $7.8 billion contract.
• The 24-team field will include the four Power Four conference champions, the highest-ranked Group of Six team and 19 at-large teams, with the top eight seeds earning first-round byes.
• The expanded playoff will feature 23 games, including 16 on campus, starting in the first full week of December 2027.
• Power Four conference championship games will end, a change already recognised by the SEC and the Big Ten.

What Happened

The College Football Playoff Management Committee voted unanimously on Monday to approve the 24-team format. The five-year deal is worth nearly $1.7 billion, adding about $345 million a year to the $7.8 billion, six-year contract signed in March 2024, which had already made ESPN the playoff's lone media rights holder through the 2031 season.

Nothing changes this winter: the 12-team format stays, with the title game on Monday, January 25, 2027, in Las Vegas. The new era begins with the 2027 season: the first 24-team field will be announced on Sunday, November 28, 2027, the day after Thanksgiving, and the first championship game under the bigger format will be played on Monday, January 24, 2028, in New Orleans.

The calendar changes too: the season will begin the week before Labor Day, the traditional Week Zero window, and end on Thanksgiving weekend, with the playoff starting in the first full week of December.

Background and Context

The playoff began in the 2014 season with just four teams earning the right to play for the national championship. It grew to 12 teams in 2024, and the move to 24 marks the second expansion in four seasons.

It came six days after the committee released its first rankings of the 2026 season. Miami topped that first ranking, ahead of Georgia, Utah and defending champion Indiana, with Notre Dame sitting 11th as the last team inside the current 12-team field. Those rankings still decide this season's bracket; from 2027 the same committee will choose twice as many teams.

The 24-Team College Football Playoff Format

The field breaks down as the champions of the four Power Four conferences, the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, plus the highest-ranked Group of Six team and 19 at-large teams. The top eight seeds receive first-round byes.

The first two rounds will be played at the home stadium of the higher seed, which is why the expanded format will feature 16 on-campus playoff games, up from four today. The New Year's Six bowl games, the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton bowls, will host the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Notre Dame, an independent, must be ranked high enough to earn an at-large berth. There is no guaranteed entry for the Fighting Irish, a detail that will keep the debate about the sport's most famous independent alive every November.

One tradition is untouched. The annual Army-Navy game will remain a standalone game the week after the regular season ends, with the Heisman Trophy handed out later that night, and it will not affect the playoff rankings even if Army or Navy is one of the 24 teams selected.

Reactions and Quotes

In a statement, the playoff said the decision was driven by access and by the regular season itself. "The decision to expand was driven by a desire to increase opportunities for FBS programs, student-athletes and fan bases to participate in the Playoff and have a chance to play for the CFP National Championship, while new scheduling standards incentivize institutions to schedule more compelling non-conference matchups during the regular season," the statement said.

Playoff executive director Rich Clark promised a bigger spectacle. "We will make the 24-team Playoff spectacular for the fans, student-athletes, their institutions and all our stakeholders. That is our commitment," Clark said. "Our organization delivers a world-class championship experience at our games and our events, and this promise will continue under the new format. 23 games of Playoff football, featuring 24 ranked teams going head-to-head for the right to be crowned the true national champion."

Why It Matters

A guaranteed place for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, plus 19 at-large spots, gives more programmes and fan bases a real path to the title. With 16 playoff games on campus instead of four, postseason football reaches more students and local fans.

It also ends an era. Power Four conference championship games, long a fixture of the first weekend in December, will disappear, a change already recognised by the SEC and the Big Ten. The regular season will carry different stakes: with byes for the top eight and 19 at-large places up for grabs, late-season games such as Texas's comeback win over Missouri and Tennessee's rout of Kentucky will matter in a wider race.

The money is enormous too: about $345 million a year in new rights fees, on top of the existing $7.8 billion deal, will flow through conferences and schools.

What Happens Next

First, the current 12-team playoff plays out this winter, ending with the championship game on January 25, 2027, in Las Vegas. Then the 2027 season kicks off in Week Zero, the week before Labor Day, and runs through Thanksgiving weekend.

The selection committee will announce the first 24-team field on Sunday, November 28, 2027. The first games will follow in the first full week of December, with the opening rounds on campus, the quarterfinals and semifinals in the New Year's Six bowls, and the championship game on January 24, 2028, in New Orleans. Exact kickoff times and ticket details will follow.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the 24-team College Football Playoff start?
The 2027-28 season: the first field is announced November 28, 2027, and the title game is played January 24, 2028, in New Orleans.

How many teams get a first-round bye?
The top eight seeds in the rankings will receive first-round byes.

Where will the playoff games be played?
The first two rounds are at the higher seed's home stadium, the quarterfinals and semifinals are in the New Year's Six bowls, and the title game is in New Orleans.

What happens to conference championship games?
Power Four conference championship games will end under the new agreement, a change already recognised by the SEC and the Big Ten.

Does Notre Dame get an automatic place?
No. Notre Dame must be ranked high enough to earn one of the 19 at-large berths; there is no guaranteed entry.