College Football Playoff to Double to 24 Teams
New format eliminates Power Four conference title games following a $1.7bn contract expansion with ESPN.
College leaders announced Monday that the College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams starting next year, as The Guardian first reported. The move ends three decades of conference title games, which were previously marquee season events.
The expansion follows an agreement with ESPN to add 11 new games. While specific terms were not disclosed, ESPN reported the five-year deal is worth an additional $1.7bn over the existing $7.8bn contract that extends through the 2031 season. ESPN noted that the network will not be responsible for $140m in funds resulting from the cancellation of title games, which The Guardian reports were worth an estimated $345m.
Under the new structure, five teams will automatically qualify: the champions of the Power Four leagues—the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC—and the top-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences. A selection panel will choose the remaining 19 teams. The Guardian reports that Notre Dame will no longer receive the guarantees it held during the 12-team postseason era.
The playoff will begin the second weekend of December, with the top eight seeds receiving first-round byes and the first two rounds played on campus. The Army-Navy game will now occupy the first weekend of December.
Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, who serves as chair of the CFP board, stated that expanding the playoff to more fanbases and programs is "great for college football." The Guardian reports that the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC are hoping the extra spots motivate continued high spending on rosters during the NIL era.