College Football Playoff to Expand to 24 Teams in 2027 in Reported ESPN Deal

The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams beginning with the 2027 season under a reported agreement with ESPN, according to ESPN reporter Heather Dinich and other outlets. On3, Sports Illustrated and USA Today reported on November 9 that the sides agreed on a five-year media rights deal worth nearly $1.7 billion. An official announcement is expected soon.

The deal is not yet official. Board approvals remain pending, according to reports. Three days earlier, on November 6, the CFP said in a statement: "A formal agreement between the CFP and ESPN regarding future media rights in connection with potential expansion is in the final stages of review by the CFP."

How the reported 24-team bracket would work

Under the reported format, five teams would receive automatic bids: the four Power 4 conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team. The other 19 spots would go to at-large teams from the selection committee rankings.

The top eight seeds would earn byes. Seeds 9 through 16 would host first-round games on campus during the second week of December, in games matching seeds No. 9 through No. 24. The top eight seeds would then host second-round games on campus the following week. The Cotton, Sugar, Fiesta, Rose, Peach and Orange bowls would continue to rotate the quarterfinals and semifinals, and the national championship game would stay in January.

Money in the reported deal

ESPN already pays an average of $1.3 billion a year under the six-year, $7.8 billion contract it signed with the CFP in March 2024, which runs through the 2031-32 season. The reported expansion adds an average of $345 million a year for five years on top of that deal.

Reports say ESPN gets back about $140 million a year because it owns the SEC, ACC and Big 12 title games, putting its net cost at about $205 million per year. Fox, which owns the Big Ten Championship Game, is expected to get back about $50 million per year. Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger reported that Big Ten and SEC programs stand to gain $2.5 million to $3 million each a year, while ACC and Big 12 schools would add $1 million to $1.5 million each a year.

Championship games out, calendar moved up

The reported agreement eliminates conference championship games at the Power 4 level. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti signaled that trade at Big Ten media days in July, when he said: "Yeah, I think it's pretty much we won't be playing a championship game if we go to 24."

The 2027 season would start a week earlier under the reported plan. The first Saturday in December would become an off week, and the Army-Navy game and the Heisman Trophy ceremony are likely to move to that date. Selection Sunday would fall on November 28, 2027. Power 4 programs would have to play 10 games against Power 4 opponents to be eligible for the playoff.

Who backed the plan

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti drove the 24-team model, according to the reports. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey initially favored a 12-team or 16-team field that would have kept his league title game, but both leagues signed off on the reported plan.

The 2026 playoff stays at 12 teams, and this season the Power 4 conference championship games will be the last under the current setup. The College Football Playoff was established in 2014 and expanded from four teams to 12 teams in 2024.