The College Football Playoff is on the verge of another massive leap, with expansion to 24 teams reportedly close and set to take effect next year.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Thursday afternoon that the CFP is nearing a deal to grow from 12 teams to 24, though the agreement is not completely finalized yet.
If it happens, the ripple effect is obvious: the road gets wider for schools like Penn State. Under a 24-team format, the Nittany Lions’ playoff odds would climb in a hurry.
Had that setup existed in 2016, PSU would have reached the field seven times over the last 10 seasons. Instead, when the playoff sat at four teams from 2014 through 2023, Penn State never got in.
Then came the first year of the 12-team bracket in 2024, and Penn State made the semifinal.
That kind of format would change the way fans look at the program’s playoff chances, too. Under a 24-team field, it becomes much easier to expect Penn State to be in the conversation every season.
On3’s Pete Nakos reported that the first two rounds would be played at home sites, while the quarterfinals, semifinals and national championship would remain on neutral fields. The eight highest-ranked seeds would earn byes. He also reported that the Power Four conference champions and the top Group of Six champion would get automatic bids, with 19 at-large spots making up the rest of the field.
Nakos added that the move would likely bring an end to conference championship games. Penn State has played in two of those, in 2016 and 2024, and won the title in 2016.
For now, though, 2027 is a long way off. Penn State is 3-3, its playoff hopes for this season effectively gone. The focus has to be on Michigan, which the Nittany Lions will face on the road at 3:30 on CBS.
In Other News...
WVU Just Got A Secondary Boost Fans Needed Before Cincinnati
West Virginia got a welcome midweek lift ahead of Saturdays noon meeting with Cincinnati, as the Mountaineers released an updated availability report that cleared five players off the probable list. For a team trying to tighten things up on the back end, any added stability in the secondary matters, especially with conference play carrying more weight this time of year.
The bigger development is at cornerback, where starter Nick Taylor moved from doubtful to questionable, keeping alive the possibility he could be available in Morgantown. West Virginia still has one more availability update to come before kickoff, so the picture could change again, but for now the Mountaineers have a little more breathing room than they did earlier in the week. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia's Defense Just Put More Pressure On Cincinnati Showdown
Phil Steele sees plenty of offense looming when West Virginia heads into its matchup with Cincinnati, and the concern starts on the defensive side for the Mountaineers. Both teams bring strong running games into the game, which is why Steele expects the total to climb past 62.5 and why this feels like the kind of Big 12 meeting where possession control and tackling discipline could matter almost as much as explosive plays.
For West Virginia, the challenge is making sure its own attack can keep pace if the game turns into a shootout. Steele pointed to Cam Cook and Michael Hawkins as important pieces for the Mountaineers, and their production could become even more valuable if Cincinnati is able to lean on the ground game and keep the pressure on West Virginia's defense throughout the night. [Read more 🡒]
Pat McAfees Next ESPN Deal Could Change His Place In Sports Media
Pat McAfee has already carved out a rare lane for himself in sports media, turning a former NFL punters platform into a full-scale broadcasting empire. The West Virginia native currently makes about $30 million a year from ESPN for his show and other network work, a number that already reflects just how central he has become to the companys daily sports conversation.
Now McAfee is in extension talks with ESPN, and the reported figures are eye-opening. Offers have been floated in the $60 million to $65 million range annually, which would put him atop the networks pay scale and further underscore how far his career has traveled from the field to the center of sports entertainment, after earlier deals with FanDuel and DraftKings helped build the brand he now carries. [Read more 🡒]