The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams beginning with the 2027-2028 season, CFP executive director Rich Clark announced, pushing the postseason format further after it grew from four teams to twelve in 2024. The decision moves ahead even though surveys reportedly show most fans oppose the change. Clark said fan sentiment was considered before the expansion proceeded, a position that has left supporters and critics of the plan far apart.
Critics argue that a larger field waters down the value of the regular season and the traditional bowl games. Major conference championship games are also expected to lose significance under the new structure, since more teams will have a path to the playoff without winning their league title. Under the new format, SEC teams with four or even five losses could qualify, a prospect that has drawn sharp criticism from those who believe a team's record should carry more weight. Critics have also cited the lopsided games of 2025 as evidence that the playoff already struggles with weak matchups, and they question whether a wider bracket will produce more competitive contests.
Much of the debate centers on money. Critics say financial considerations drove the decision, and the Big Ten reportedly pushed hard for expansion. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was also reported to have come around to the idea after initial resistance. ESPN, the broadcast partner, stands to benefit because more playoff games generate more revenue for the network and the conferences that share in playoff income.
The format includes sixteen first-round games to be played on campuses, giving higher seeds home-field advantage in the opening round. The new scheduling standards will require teams to play ten Power 4 opponents, a provision intended to strengthen the quality of competition teams face during the regular season and to give the selection committee stronger résumés to evaluate.
A central open question is how competitive the 24th-ranked team would be against a top seed. That matchup could test whether the larger field adds substance to the postseason or simply adds games. Supporters of expansion have pointed to the chance for more schools to reach the national stage, while skeptics warn that a bracket stretched to 24 teams could make the national championship picture harder to defend as the most meaningful outcome in the sport.