It appears the College Football Playoff will be doubling in size.
According to a Thursday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, a deal to expand the playoff to 24 teams “is expected to come together in the near future,” with the new format being implemented for the 2027 season.
Effects of the 24-team playoff would include opening the regular season a week earlier, along with eliminating conference championship games in Power Four leagues.
The new format will feature 19 at-large playoff teams and five automatic bids for the four Power Four conference champions and a Group of Five participant.
“Under the proposed plan, teams seeded Nos. 1 through 8 would earn a first-round bye followed by a home game. (The No. 1 seed would face the winner of No. 16 vs. No. 17, the No. 2 seed would face the winner of No. 15 vs. No. 18 and so on),” wrote Thamel.
“Teams hovering around No. 17 and No. 18 would want to move up so they can host a first-round home game (awarded to teams seeded Nos. 9-16), while teams at the bottom are constantly trying to stay in the field or protect their spot.
According to Thamel, the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton bowls will continue serving as host sites for the national quarterfinal and semifinal matchups, and the national championship game will still be played in January.
The College Football Playoff was a four-team event from its debut in 2014 to 2023, with the current 12-team model beginning in 2024 and now appearing to be in its final season.
