The College Football Playoff is headed for another major overhaul, and this one comes with a price tag and a shakeup that will ripple through the sport.
On Monday, the CFP Management Committee unanimously approved an expansion to a 24-team field, with the new format set to begin in the 2027-28 season. The move follows a five-year, $1.7 billion agreement between the CFP and ESPN, which also keeps the network as the playoff’s exclusive broadcast partner through the 2031-32 season.
The change does more than simply add teams. It also removes all Power Four conference championship games, a development the ACC confirmed in a statement Monday.
The league said this year’s title game in Charlotte, North Carolina, will be its last. Cal, meanwhile, is not expected to be making the trip east for that one.
The reaction has already been sharp, with fans across the country voicing frustration over the expansion. Still, officials involved in the decision have pointed to access as the central selling point, arguing that the larger bracket gives more programs a legitimate path into the postseason.
Cal Athletics spokesperson Jonathan Okanes pointed to the ACC commissioner’s statement and said Cal Athletics is “aligned with the ACC.”
“The expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams is centered on access - creating more opportunities for student-athletes, programs and fan bases to compete for a national championship,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement Monday.
The new setup changes the automatic-bid structure as well. Under the current 12-team model, the Power Four conference champions all get automatic spots, along with the top team from the Group of Six. Notre Dame, as an independent, also gets an automatic berth if it finishes in the top 12 on selection day, while the rest of the field is filled by at-large selections.
In the 24-team version, each Power Four champion will still receive an automatic bid, and the highest-ranked Group of Six team will also get in automatically. After that, the committee will fill the final 19 spots with the next highest-ranked teams.
Notre Dame’s path changes under the new format. The Irish will not be guaranteed a place unless they are among those 19 teams.
CFP executive director Rich Clark acknowledged the pushback but stood by the decision.
“We’re aware of the fan sentiment and that many fans aren’t in favor of expansion. That was certainly weighed into the decision.
It was considered,” Clark told On3. “Ultimately we just need to make a spectacular Playoff.
I mean, the CFP has a responsibility to our fans, they’re the lifeblood of college football. We owe it to them to make this great.”
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