Paul Finebaum, Stephen A. Smith Clash Over 24-Team College Football Playoff Expansion

Paul Finebaum and Stephen A. Smith split Friday on “First Take” over the College Football Playoff’s reported move to 24 teams. Finebaum, the ESPN analyst, called it a boost for the sport, and Smith, the show’s host, called it a money grab.

ESPN insider Pete Thamel reported Thursday that the playoff is nearing a deal to double its 12-team field starting in 2027, pending final approvals. Finebaum weighed in from Knoxville, where No. 6 Alabama visits No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Why did Finebaum change his mind?

Finebaum said he used to argue against expansion because “you’re going to lose some of the regular season.” The rivalry game he was in Knoxville to cover changed his outlook.

“This is a cherished game,” Finebaum said. “It will still be a big weekend with a playoff next year.”

The proposed format would eliminate Power 4 conference championship games. Finebaum said those games “have lost complete meaning.” He pointed to Georgia, which has won back-to-back conference titles.

“I don’t see a flag in the state of Georgia because they have been bounced out of the playoffs the last two years in their first game,” Finebaum said.

Both titles earned coach Kirby Smart’s team a first-round bye. Both runs then ended in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. Georgia lost to Notre Dame in January 2025 and fell to Ole Miss on Jan. 1, 2026.

Stephen A. Smith draws the line at 16 teams

“I believe if you can’t finish as one of the top 15, 16 teams in the nation, you shouldn’t be in the damn playoffs,” Smith said.

He later added, “I think it should have stopped at 16, personally. I think it’s a money grab.”

Smith agreed with Finebaum on scrapping conference title games. But he said he’s “tired of rewarding teams” just so they can claim a playoff berth. He then softened his stance: “Twenty-four teams bothers me, but not that much.”

Smith’s worry about rewarding teams overlooks how the bracket would work. First- and second-round games are expected to be played on campus. That means a team seeded No. 23 or 24 would likely open on the road against a stronger program, so November results would still decide seeding and home games.

What does expansion mean for coaches?

Finebaum said a bigger field will also raise the stakes for the coaches who reach it.

“You mentioned Kalen DeBoer, Lane Kiffin, people like that,” Finebaum said. “They get into the playoffs and lose a home game in the first round, see what happened to the Buffalo Bills coach last year.”

DeBoer is in his third season at Alabama. Kiffin is in his first at LSU after leaving Ole Miss before its 2025 playoff run.

The Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott in January, two days after a 33-30 overtime loss at Denver in the divisional round. That ended a nine-season run with an 8-8 playoff record.

The playoff has a Dec. 1 deadline to finalize expansion for 2027, and this season’s field stays at 12 teams.