The College Football Playoff is about to get a whole lot bigger, and Kentucky fans need to start thinking about the sport’s next phase now.
ESPN and the CFP reached a five-year deal worth nearly $1.7 billion on Monday, locking in a 24-team playoff that will begin in 2027. That means the 12-team format will only last three seasons after replacing the four-team field that had been in place for a decade.
One of the biggest ripple effects is the end of conference championship games in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. The 2026 season will be the last time those December title games are played, and for the SEC, it will be the first time since 1991 that there is no championship game.
The new setup also changes how the regular season is built. Every power conference team will have to play 10 games, a rule that was already set for the SEC in 2026 but not for the Big Ten. That requirement should keep Kentucky’s Governor’s Cup matchup with Louisville intact, with the expectation that the Wildcats will play nine SEC games and Louisville every year.
Group of Six teams will also have a path into the field, but they’ll need to meet a scheduling standard of at least 10 games from a set of options: conference games, non-conference games against a Group of Six opponent, a power conference opponent, Notre Dame, or UConn. The highest-ranked Group of Six conference champion will earn an automatic berth.
The playoff itself will be spread across campus sites for 16 games, with the first two rounds played on campus. The top eight teams will get first-round byes, while seeds No. 9-24 open the tournament in the first round. The field will feature five automatic bids - SEC champion, Big Ten champion, ACC champion, Big 12 champion, and Group of Six champion - and 19 at-large spots decided by the committee.
There will still be a rankings show on ESPN in November, though the exact format has not been set. Two permanent bye weeks will also be built into the calendar starting in 2027.
The regular season will end on Nov. 27, 2027, and the playoff will begin the following weekend, though scheduling conflicts with Army-Navy must be avoided. That game usually lands two weeks after the regular season ends.
The opening two rounds will be played Thursday through Saturday on their respective weekends, and the 2027 national championship game is set for New Orleans on Monday, Jan. 24, 2028.
For Kentucky, the new format could be a real opportunity. The Wildcats will be on the bubble in the next College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings, but under the 24-team model, they would be squarely in the field and even in the hunt for a first-round bye.
A 9-3 record in the SEC should leave teams with a shot at an at-large bid, and even some 8-4 teams in the SEC and Big Ten are likely to make the cut in the expanded bracket.
Bowl games are expected to survive, but the bigger playoff will squeeze the system. With more teams moving into the postseason field, the SEC and Big Ten won’t have as many teams available to fill bowl slots, and the overall bowl lineup is expected to shrink.
In Other News...
Kentucky Finally Got Clarity On Two Injuries That Could Shape The Stretch
Kentucky finally has a clearer picture on two defensive injuries that have lingered since the South Carolina game in early October. Nickel cornerback Jaden Smith tore his ACL in that matchup and will miss the rest of the season, a tough blow for a defense that has had to adjust without one of its key pieces in the secondary.
There is at least a sliver of better news on linebacker Antwan Smith, who underwent ankle surgery after the same game and could still have a path back for postseason play. With both players sidelined for weeks already, the latest update gives Kentucky a better sense of what it can and cannot count on as the season moves into its final stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Biggest Problem Showed Up Again In Ugly Kansas Loss
Kentucky came out with energy in Chicago and looked ready to make a statement in the Champions Classic, but the game quickly turned once Kansas started applying pressure. The Wildcats were undone by the same issues that have lingered around them, with turnovers feeding the Jayhawks run game and defensive breakdowns making it hard to recover after the opening stretch.
Zoom Diallo did his part with 24 points, and Malachi Morenos foul trouble only added to Kentuckys problems as the frontcourt rotation thinned out. Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds in the 89-69 loss, leaving Kentucky with another reminder that its margin for error shrinks fast when the ball security and physical defense are not there. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Still Has One Thing That Could Wreck Kentuckys Plans
Kentuckys playoff path took a hit in Week 10 with a six-point showing against Tennessee, and now the Wildcats head into a crucial home game against Florida with little margin for error. Kenny Minchey has given Kentucky a steady hand at quarterback this season, throwing 14 touchdowns against two interceptions, and the Wildcats will need that kind of efficiency again if they want to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Florida has its own issues on defense, but the Gators still bring one wrinkle that could make this matchup tricky for Kentucky. They have not named a starting quarterback for the game, leaving some uncertainty about what the Wildcats will see on the other side, and with both defenses showing vulnerabilities, this one has the feel of a game where one mistake could swing the whole thing. [Read more 🡒]