KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – The College Football Playoff Management Committee has officially approved a major expansion of the postseason, increasing the field from 12 teams to 24 beginning with the 2027-28 season.
The move marks one of the most significant changes in college football history and comes alongside a new media rights agreement that will keep ESPN as the home of the playoff.
The 2026 season will be the final year of the current 12-team format before the expanded bracket debuts in 2027.
Under the new structure, the 24-team field will include:
- The champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC
- The highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion
- The 19 highest-ranked remaining teams selected by the CFP committee
The expanded format is designed to provide more access to postseason play while preserving opportunities for conference champions and highly ranked at-large teams.
Early-round games will be played on campus sites, with a total of 16 on-campus playoff games scheduled before the field narrows. The traditional New Year’s Six bowl games will continue to serve as hosts for the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The playoff schedule will also continue to protect the annual Army-Navy Game, ensuring postseason contests do not conflict with one of college football’s most storied rivalries.
The expansion will also bring changes to the regular season. Under the new system, Power Four conference championship games are expected to conclude, ending events that have played a major role in determining playoff participants for decades.
In conjunction with the expansion, ESPN has secured continued broadcast rights to the College Football Playoff through a reported five-year, $1.7 billion agreement.
Supporters of the move argue the larger playoff field will create more opportunities for teams to compete for a national championship, while critics have expressed concerns about player workload and the length of an already demanding football season.
For programs like Tennessee, the larger field could significantly increase postseason opportunities and make playoff appearances more attainable in years when teams fall just short of winning a conference title.
The first 24-team College Football Playoff will begin following the 2027 regular season.
