College football playoff grows to 24 teams in 2027

The College Football Playoff will double its size to 24 teams starting in the 2027 season, a move that reshapes the postseason structure for the sport's top level. The organization announced the change on Monday, ending speculation about the next major shift in the format. This expansion follows the 12-team model that took effect in 2024, which itself replaced the four-team playoff used from 2014 through 2023.

Each champion from the four major conferences, the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12, will earn an automatic bid. Nineteen additional teams will receive at-large selections based on committee rankings. A final automatic spot goes to the highest-ranked school from the Group of 6, which includes the American Athletic, Sun Belt, Mid-America, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Conference USA. The selection committee will continue to rank the top 25 teams to determine the full field.

The new rules eliminate conference championship games for the Power 4 conferences. Instead, conference titles will be decided by regular season records and specific tiebreaker procedures. This change alters the scheduling rhythm of the late fall, as the annual Army-Navy game moves to the slot previously reserved for conference titles. That game will now occur on the first Saturday in December, a day with no other scheduled contests.

The tournament bracket will feature first-round byes for the top eight teams. The initial rounds will be played on campus, with teams ranked nine through 16 hosting opponents ranked 17 through 24. The second round will also take place at home stadiums, resulting in 16 games played on campus before the national championship run. The quarterfinals and semifinals will remain at the established New Year's six bowl games: the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Orange, Peach, and Cotton bowls.

The expansion aims to provide more teams and fans with a path to the national championship. The CFP stated that new scheduling standards will encourage programs to arrange more competitive non-conference games during the regular season. The 24-team format is guaranteed to last for at least five seasons, running through the 2031-32 campaign. The regular season for the 2026 year will begin the weekend before Labor Day and conclude in late November.

Controversy has accompanied each previous expansion. In 2023, an undefeated Florida State team was excluded from the four-team playoff following a quarterback injury. Last year, Notre Dame fell out of the final rankings despite leading Miami in prior polls. The next regular season will begin on the weekend previously known as Week 0, setting the stage for the first season under the new 24-team rules.