The College Football Playoff is headed to 24 teams in 2027, and for Texas A&M, that opens a much wider lane to the postseason - plus a real shot to bring playoff football to Kyle Field in College Station.
Under the new setup, the Aggies would have benefited immediately from the added room in the bracket. If Texas A&M had finished 11-1 and ranked No. 7 in the final CFP rankings, it would have received a first-round bye and then hosted a second-round game at home.
That’s the upside for programs like A&M: more paths in, more chances to stay alive, and more opportunities to play a game on campus. But the tradeoff is just as clear, and head coach Mike Elko has already voiced concern about what the change could do to the sport’s most cherished stretch.
“The thing that makes this sport really special is its regular season, the pageantry of the regular season, how important the weeks of the games are during the regular season,” Elko said. “I just hope that we don’t lose that as a college football fan,” Elko said.
Elko’s point cuts right to the heart of the debate. A 24-team playoff gives teams more breathing room, but it also weakens the edge of every Saturday. It also wipes out conference championships, removing some of the urgency that has defined those matchups all year.
The new format will also raise the stakes for head coaches across the country, especially at schools with the resources and profile to realistically chase a 24-team berth, including Texas A&M.
According to the official announcement, the 2027-28 CFP will work like this: the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions will be included, along with the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. The field will be completed by the 19 highest-ranked remaining teams in the CFP Selection Committee’s final ranking.
Seeds 1-8 will get first-round byes and host second-round games on campus. Seeds 9-16 will host first-round games against seeds 17-24. First- and second-round games will be played on the Thursday-Saturday of their respective weekend.
Whether all of that is good for college football is still up for debate. Texas A&M, though, will get a front-row look at the new reality next season when Elko and the Aggies start operating under the expanded rules.
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For the Aggies, the bigger issue is not just that Taylor is off the board, but that the market is shifting toward retention instead of movement. More high-production quarterbacks are choosing to stay put rather than test the portal, which means Texas A&M may have to spend more aggressively than ever just to stay in the conversation for top-end help. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger question heading into Tennessee is who Reed will have available to throw to. Wide receivers Ashton Bethel-Roman and Kelshaun Johnson both sat out the South Carolina game, and Mike Elko did not provide any updates on their status, leaving their availability uncertain as the Aggies keep searching for answers at receiver. Offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins is expected to remain in place for the rest of the season, so for now the focus shifts to whether Texas A&M can get healthier in time to give Reed a fuller set of options. [Read more 🡒]