The College Football Playoff is moving toward a major overhaul, with a proposed expansion to 24 teams set to begin in 2027. If it gets the final approvals still needed, the change would double the current field, push more postseason action onto campuses and dramatically alter how teams chase the title.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich first reported the development Thursday, saying the new format is expected to come together in the near future. Under the proposal, the playoff would include the four Power Four conference champions, the highest-ranked Group of Six team and 19 at-large selections.
That structure would create a much larger path to the bracket, but it would also introduce a new layer of seeding drama. The top eight teams would earn first-round byes and host their first playoff game in the second round. Seeds nine through 16 would host opening-round games against seeds 17 through 24.
The first two rounds would be played on campuses, while the New Year’s Six bowls would continue to handle the quarterfinals and semifinals.
In practical terms, the season would suddenly have three major checkpoints: make the playoff, secure a home game and climb high enough to land a bye. For teams that survive the regular season in good shape, the reward would be enormous. For others, the margin for error would shrink less than it does now, because there would be more room to stay alive after a loss.
That’s also where the criticism comes in. The current 12-team setup already gives contenders a clear route into the field, and plenty of fans believe expanding again would water down the regular season and give elite teams too much cushion. A bigger bracket means more chances - and more room to stumble without paying the full price.
Even so, the seeding setup would keep some pressure on the top end. Earning a bye is a very different path from opening the postseason on the road, and a home game in the first round would still be a major advantage.
The selection arguments wouldn’t disappear, either. Teams would still have to make their case through wins, losses and strength of schedule. More spots would not magically settle the debate over which leagues deserve the most invitations.
For Utah, BYU and the rest of the Big 12, the change would open real doors. Teams could miss out on the conference title and still have a playoff route. A bad road loss or a crowded race at the top of the standings would not necessarily end a season’s championship hopes.
It would also raise the possibility of multiple Big 12 teams making the bracket in the same year. Conference games could carry playoff implications much deeper into November, with teams chasing not just bids, but home-field advantage and byes.
Utah and BYU could both get in during the same season, and their annual meeting could help decide where each team lands in the bracket. For those fan bases, the biggest payoff would be the possibility of playoff football at Rice-Eccles Stadium or LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Utah State and the rebuilt Pac-12 would also have a route through the guaranteed spot for the highest-ranked Group of Six team. Even with a larger at-large pool, though, that proposal would still leave just one automatic place for that group of conferences.
The expected format would also end conference championship games, shifting more importance to standings and tiebreakers when leagues determine their champions. And while the New Year’s Six bowls would stay in place, the rest of the bowl landscape could be squeezed as the expanded playoff draws more attention and more teams.
A deeper field would test depth, too. Teams that don’t get a bye would need five postseason wins to win it all, turning the championship run into a 17-game season after a standard 12-game regular season.
The playoff is still set at 12 teams for 2026. If the 24-team plan is approved, 2027 would bring a much bigger postseason and a very different race to the national championship.
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