The College Football Playoff has officially doubled in size, adopting a 24-team field that begins with the 2027 season. The change starts the sport earlier, moves Selection Day, eliminates Power 4 conference championship games, relocates the Army-Navy game and ripples through bowl season, opening the playoff to programs that never had a realistic path in.
The field will include the Power 4 champions from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, the highest-ranked Group of 6 team and 19 at-large selections based on the selection committee's final ranking. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said the format "right-sizes" postseason access, noting 68 Power 4 teams and Notre Dame now chase 11 spots.
The model first took shape last February, when the Big Ten circulated a document outlining its 24-team plan. Many athletic leaders scoffed, including some who now support it, but the Big Ten controlled the bulk of the future format with the SEC and refused to budge from 24. "Once the playoff show starts, if you're not in that discussion, then everything else is meaningless," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.
By summer the Big Ten had backing from the Big 12, ACC and Notre Dame; the SEC was the lone holdout, preferring 16 teams until satisfied it could absorb losing its championship game, valued around $80 million, and the Power 4 agreed to 10-game schedules against Power 4 opponents. One source with knowledge of the discussions was blunter: "The push toward a 24-team playoff is all about generating more revenue and more slots for one or two conferences, period."
ESPN, which paid $7.8 billion in March 2024 to stay sole rights holder through 2031, will add an average of $345 million annually for five years to the $1.3 billion it already pays, sources said. The true new cost is essentially $205 million after recouping $140 million annually from the cancelled SEC, Big 12 and ACC title games, while Fox recovers about $50 million annually for the Big Ten game. ESPN may sublicense six of the 12 new games.
The regular season will run from Week 0 through Thanksgiving weekend, opening Aug. 28, 2027 and closing Nov. 27, 2027, with Selection Day to be announced later. Seeds 1 through 8 earn a first-round bye plus a home game, and seeds 9 through 16 host seeds 17 through 24. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti cited "tiered incentives" in rejecting fears that expansion cheapens November; a non-bye team reaching the final would play at most 17 games, matching the current maximum.
Coaches dismissed the idea of resting starters for late-season rivalry games as NFL teams do. "Because of how the seeding would work, it's so valuable," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said in July. "One loss can be a huge difference in being [seeded] 1 or 5 or 8."
Scheduling will also toughen. Power 4 schools are expected to play at least 10 qualifying games against Power 4 teams and Notre Dame, while Group of 6 teams must play at least 10 against Group of 6 or Power 4 opponents, Notre Dame or another independent. Wins over more than one FCS opponent will not count with the committee. The arrangement should boost Notre Dame's schedule, though unlike this year the Irish have no guaranteed bid.
The playoff begins Dec. 9, 2027 and ends with the national championship Jan. 24, 2028. The Army-Navy game and Heisman Trophy are set for Dec. 4, with quarterfinals Dec. 31 through Jan. 1 and semifinals Jan. 13 and 14.
Bowl officials are wary. Last season 82 teams were bowl eligible and 12 made the playoff, leaving 70 for the rest of the bowl system, and Bowl Season executive director Nick Carparelli said the "vast majority" of eligible teams would still miss the playoff. "It's going to be diluted for sure," one Power 4 source said. Ferentz called it "a sign of the times."
