College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams in 2027 Under ESPN Deal
The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams starting in the 2027 season following a unanimous vote by the competition’s management committee, Máquina do Esporte reported.
The structural overhaul is tied to a new five-year broadcast agreement with ESPN valued at approximately $1.7 billion. Under the terms of the renewed partnership, ESPN will pay an additional $345 million annually to accommodate the expanded field.
“The ESPN and the College Football Playoff have worked in conjunction for over a decade to make the CFP one of the most important events in all of sports, and we are firmly committed to elevating it in its new expanded format with 24 teams,” ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro said.
New Format Eliminates Power Four Title Games
The transition to a 24-team bracket eliminates the traditional Power Four conference championship games. The new tournament structure reserves four automatic bids for the champions of the top four conferences, alongside one bid for the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six.
The remaining 19 positions will be filled by at-large selections. The top eight teams in the final rankings will receive a first-round bye, while the first two rounds of the postseason will be hosted on the campuses of the higher-seeded teams.
“Opening the playoffs to more programs, more student-athletes, and more fanbases across the country is great for college football,” CFP board of managers chairman Mark Keenum said.
Expansion Redraws College Football Calendar and Financial Terms
The expansion forces a complete redraw of the college football calendar. The Army-Navy game will move into the early December window previously occupied by conference title games, while teams qualifying for the playoffs will receive a designated weekend of rest.
ESPN will finance the expansion through the $345 million annual supplementary payment. Part of that expense is offset by the termination of conference championship broadcasts that previously held media rights tied to ESPN and Fox.
“We are aware of the sentiment of the fans and that many are not in favor of the expansion, but that was certainly taken into consideration in the decision,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said.
ESPN retains exclusive domestic rights to broadcast the tournament, though the network holds the option to sublicence select early-round matchups to outside media platforms.
New Orleans Final Scheduled for January 2028
Despite the broader structural changes to the early rounds, the national championship game remains anchored to its previously established venue timeline. The CFP confirmed that the title game will take place on January 24, 2028, in New Orleans.
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