College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams

The CFP approved a 24-team Playoff starting in 2027-28, with 16 games on campus and ESPN through 2031-32. Here is how it works and what stays the same.

The College Football Playoff will grow from 12 teams to 24 starting with the 2027-28 season, the CFP said on Monday, Nov. 9. Its Management Committee approved the change unanimously, and ESPN stays on as the exclusive home of every game through the 2031-32 season. As of Tuesday, Nov. 10, this year's Playoff is not affected. It will still use 12 teams.

How will the 24-team College Football Playoff field be picked?

The field is 24 teams: the champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC (as determined by each conference), the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt, and the 19 highest-ranked remaining teams in the final Selection Committee ranking, according to the CFP's announcement.

The top eight seeds get a first-round bye and host a second-round game. Seeds 9 through 16 host first-round games against seeds 17 through 24. First- and second-round games are played Thursday through Saturday of their weekends. The quarterfinals and semifinals stay at the six bowl sites: Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar.

The CFP's fact sheet does not mention an automatic spot for Notre Dame. Reading the formula, the Fighting Irish would compete for one of the 19 rankings-based places. That is our reading, not a line the CFP spelled out.

When does the bigger Playoff start, and what changes on the calendar?

The 2026-27 Playoff keeps the 12-team format. Its first round is Dec. 18 and 19, the quarterfinals run from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1, the semifinals are Jan. 14 and 15, and the title game is Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, per the CFP's site.

The first 24-team title game is Monday, Jan. 24, 2028, in New Orleans. Tampa Bay hosts on Jan. 22, 2029. The final regular-season games in 2027 are set for Saturday, Nov. 27, and the Playoff opens the first full week of December. Every season will have two open weeks, and the top eight seeds get two open weeks before their first game. The CFP said Selection Day and other key dates will come later.

The Heisman Trophy ceremony weekend moves one week earlier, to Dec. 3-5, 2027. The CFP also said no Playoff game will conflict with the Army-Navy game.

How many games will be on campus, and where can you watch?

Sixteen of the 23 games will be on campus, up from four in the current format. The first two rounds are hosted by the higher seed. The other seven games are the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship.

ESPN becomes the exclusive worldwide rights holder for all 23 games, with every game on ESPN, ABC or both. Starting in 2027-28, at least three games from each of the first and second rounds will be on ABC. ESPN can sublicense select games, on top of its existing sublicense with TNT Sports. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the CFP said programming and distribution plans will be announced later.

What is the new scheduling rule?

Teams in the Autonomy 4 conferences are expected to play at least 10 qualifying games. Those are conference games plus non-conference games against other A4 teams and Notre Dame. Group of 6 teams can fill the same count with conference games and opponents from the G6, the A4, Notre Dame or other independents. The Selection Committee will not give weight to a win over more than one FCS opponent in a season. The committee can grant waivers in extraordinary circumstances.

The CFP said the rules are meant to push schools toward better non-conference games. Conference title games are not part of this announcement. The CFP said decisions on those rest with each conference.

What we think

Analysis: the extra seats will not matter to most fans as much as the schedule rule. A 24-team field makes a September loss easier to survive, and that is exactly why the CFP is trying to reward tough non-conference games. Whether the one-FCS-win limit is enough to stop teams from padding their records is something we will only know after a few seasons of Selection Committee rankings.

The deal also keeps the Playoff on one network family. That is simple for viewers. It also means the price of watching is decided in one place, and the CFP has not said how many games might move to a sublicensed partner.