The College Football Playoff is on the verge of a major overhaul, with a 24-team field expected to begin in 2027 if the final approvals come through.
That would double the current 12-team setup and push more of the postseason onto campuses, changing not just who gets in but how the whole championship race is played out. ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Heather Dinich reported the development Thursday, noting that the deal is close but not finished yet.
Under the proposed format, the playoff would include the four Power Four conference champions, the highest-ranked Group of Six team and 19 at-large teams. The first two rounds would be played on campus sites, while the New Year’s Six bowls would remain in place for the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The seeding setup is designed to reward the teams that finish best. Seeds one through eight would get first-round byes and then host their first playoff game in the second round. Seeds nine through 16 would host opening-round matchups against seeds 17 through 24.
That structure creates a few clear targets for teams across the season: make the playoff, get a home game and climb high enough to earn a bye. It also changes the stakes of the regular season in a way that could keep more fan bases locked into the race well into November.
But the idea has plenty of pushback. Critics of expansion argue the current 12-team format already gives enough access while still protecting the value of the regular season. A larger field, they say, gives the sport’s biggest brands more margin for error.
There’s no question a 24-team bracket would offer more wiggle room. Teams that take a loss would still have a chance to stay alive, and more schools would remain relevant deep into the season. The tradeoff is obvious, though: top teams could afford more mistakes and still be in the hunt.
Seeding would matter even more in that world. A bye and a home game are a much better setup than opening the postseason on the road, and the debate over who gets which spot would not go away. More places in the field would not end the arguments over strength of schedule or which leagues deserve the most respect.
For Utah, BYU and the Big 12, the proposed change opens the door wider. Programs in that league could still reach the playoff without winning the conference, and a tough road loss or a crowded finish near the top might not knock them out completely.
That also creates a more realistic path for the Big 12 to send multiple teams. Late-season games could carry playoff meaning for more programs, with teams battling for not just entry, but also byes and home games.
Utah and BYU could both make the bracket in the same season, and their annual matchup could influence where each school lands. For both fan bases, the big attraction is easy to see: the chance for playoff football at Rice-Eccles Stadium or LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Utah State and the rebuilt Pac-12 would have a route as well, thanks to the guaranteed spot for the highest-ranked Group of Six team. Even with the larger field, though, that is still just one automatic place for those six conferences.
The proposal would also bring changes beyond the bracket itself. It is expected to eliminate conference championship games, which would leave leagues to decide their champions through other means and could give standings and tiebreakers even more weight.
The bowl landscape could shift, too. The New Year’s Six would remain part of the playoff, but other bowls may struggle as more attention moves to the expanded postseason. Some could try to reinvent themselves as season-opening events with neutral-site matchups and sponsors.
A bigger playoff would also demand more from the teams that survive it. Schools without a bye would need five postseason wins to take the title, which would stretch the path to the championship into a 17-game season after a standard 12-game regular season.
For now, the playoff stays at 12 teams for 2026. If the new plan gets the final stamp, 2027 will bring a much bigger field and a postseason that looks very different from the one college football has now.
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