Sports · October 15, 2026
College Football Playoff expansion: What would a 24-team bracket have looked like last season?
CBS Sports reports that the College Football Playoff (CFP) and ESPN are finalizing a contract to expand the postseason to 24 teams starting in 2027. While specific rules regarding automatic versus at-large bids are not yet finalized, the expansion is expected to grant first-round byes to the top eight seeds and potentially lead to the elimination of conference championship games. An analysis of the 2024 season rankings suggests this format would have introduced 13 additional teams into the field, including programs like North Texas and Vanderbilt, while significantly increasing the importance of tiebreakers within mega-conferences.
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- CBS SportsSports network
College Football Playoff expansion: What would a 24-team bracket have looked like last season?
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Reported by multiple outlets
- The College Football Playoff is set to expand to 24 teams in 2027.
- The CFP and ESPN are nearing completion on a new television contract for this expanded format.
Reported by only some outlets
- The expansion is expected to bring an end to conference championship games.
- The top eight seeds would receive first-round byes under the expected format.
- Teams ranked 9 through 24 would compete in eight first-round games.
- North Texas, Vanderbilt, and Tulane would have qualified for the playoff based on 2024 final rankings.
Confirmed
- CFP expansion to 24 teams is scheduled for 2027.
- ESPN and CFP are in late-stage negotiations for a new media rights deal.
Reported
- The expanded format will likely lead to the discontinuation of conference championship games. (CBS Sports)
Rumor
- The committee might rank Power Four teams more favorably in a 24-team field compared to Group of Five teams like Tulane or North Texas. (CBS Sports (Speculative analysis))
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