Jeff Brohm may be about to get the kind of postseason runway that finally matches what Louisville has been building.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported earlier today that the College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams, with the new format expected to begin in 2027 and final approvals still pending. If that happens, Louisville’s climb gets a lot more manageable.
At the moment, the playoff is a 12-team field. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC champions all earn automatic bids, along with the highest-ranked team from the Group of 5.
The remaining seven spots go to the highest-ranked teams outside those automatic qualifiers. Under that setup, Louisville has faced a steep road to the bracket, especially in seasons when it doesn’t win the ACC title.
Brohm has already pushed the Cardinals into the mix as a real ACC contender, but the next step has been out of reach. That’s where a 24-team field could change the entire picture. Instead of needing a near-perfect season, Louisville would have some breathing room and still stay alive in the playoff hunt.
The frustrating part for the Cardinals is that they keep showing they belong near the top of the league, only to let games slip away. Brohm has taken hits in matchups against teams such as Stanford, Cal, and NC State, and those losses have made the current playoff format especially unforgiving.
But Louisville has also proven it can stack up with the sport’s bigger names. The Cardinals beat Notre Dame in 2023, Clemson in 2024, Miami in 2025, and SMU this year, and they pushed Ole Miss to the final seconds. That kind of résumé matters if the field gets bigger.
If Brohm keeps Louisville in the 9-10 win range, a 24-team playoff would give the program a real path forward. It wouldn’t just be about hanging around the ACC race anymore. It would mean Louisville could regularly be in the conversation for a playoff berth and, on the right run, maybe do more than just get in.
For a program that has already proven it can compete with major brands, this expansion would open the door Brohm has been trying to walk through.
In Other News...
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Syracuses defense has taken a step forward under new coordinator Vince Kehres, the former Toledo assistant who has helped steady a unit that now looks more organized in several key areas. The Orange have been better against the pass and have gotten useful work from players such as Keyshawn Johnson, Tunmise Adeleye, Chris DAppolonia and Antoine Deslauriers, giving Louisville a sturdier challenge than it might have expected earlier in the season.
Even so, one vulnerability still hangs over the matchup, and it is the kind Louisvilles offense is built to test. Safety Chris Peal has had coverage issues, especially when the ball goes deep, leaving Syracuse with a spot the Cardinals can try to exploit if they push the field vertically and force the Oranges improved defense to hold up in the one area that has not fully settled in yet. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Enters The Season With More ACC Respect Than Fans Expected
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For a team trying to turn preseason belief into something more lasting, that kind of placement matters. Bidunga and Shelstad give Louisville proven talent at two important spots, and their past production and honors help explain why the Cardinals are being viewed as more than just another upper-tier ACC team. The bigger question now is how quickly that attention turns into results once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Conwell Is Already Giving Louisville Fans A Reason To Watch Miami
Mikel Brown Jr. made his NBA preseason debut with the Brooklyn Nets against the Miami Heat, and Louisville fans had another familiar name to track on the other side. Ryan Conwell, Browns former Cardinals teammate now in Miami, turned in a steady showing with 13 points while filling up the box score in other areas, giving a little more evidence that his game is translating quickly at the next level.
The performance also drew attention from one of the leagues biggest stars, with Giannis Antetokounmpo praising Conwells play and saying he is excited to share the floor with him this season. For Louisville supporters, it is a reminder that even in a preseason game far from campus, there are still plenty of reasons to keep one eye on Miami. [Read more 🡒]