Major changes could be coming to college football, and Jeff Brohm’s Louisville program may be one of the biggest winners if they do.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams. The new format would begin in 2027 and is expected to be finalized in the near future, pending final approvals.
Right now, the CFP uses a 12-team setup with automatic bids for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, plus one automatic spot for the highest-ranked Group of 5 team. The remaining seven spots go to the highest-ranked teams outside those automatic qualifiers.
For Louisville, that shift could be huge. Brohm has already pushed the Cardinals into the ACC contender conversation, but the next step - actually making the playoff - has remained just out of reach. Under the current system, that climb is steep, especially if Louisville doesn’t win the ACC title.
A 24-team bracket would change the math. It would give the Cardinals more room to absorb the kind of losses that have tripped them up under Brohm, including defeats to Stanford, Cal and NC State. Instead of one bad stretch ending the conversation, Louisville would have a buffer and a real path to stay in the hunt.
That matters because this program has already shown it can hang with quality opponents. Louisville beat Notre Dame in 2023, Clemson in 2024, Miami in 2025 and SMU this year, and it pushed Ole Miss to the final seconds.
If Brohm keeps Louisville in the 9-10 win range, the Cardinals could suddenly be in playoff position more often than not. With a bigger field, that profile becomes less of a long shot and more of a legitimate CFP threat.
That’s why this potential expansion feels especially important in Louisville. It would move the Cardinals from chasing the ACC race to fighting for a playoff spot year after year. And if the deal gets done, there won’t be much room left for excuses.
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