College football playoff expands to 24 teams, ending conference title game era

College leaders announced on Monday that the College Football Playoff will double in size to 24 teams beginning next season. The change ends a three-decade era in which conference title games served as some of the most prominent events of the college football calendar.

ESPN agreed to rework its broadcasting contract to include the 11 new games. The network described the deal as a five-year agreement worth an additional $1.7 billion. This amount sits on top of the $7.8 billion contract that runs through the 2031 season.

The revenue from these new games is expected to offset the estimated $345 million in value previously generated by Power Four conference title games. ESPN reported that it will not be responsible for $140 million of the extra costs due to the cancellation of those title games.

Under the new format, five teams will earn automatic qualifiers. These spots go to the champions of the Power Four leagues and the best-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences. A selection panel will choose the remaining 19 teams. Notre Dame does not receive a guaranteed spot, unlike its current status if it remains in the top 12 of the rankings.

The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes in the expanded playoff. The tournament will begin on the second weekend in December. The first two rounds of games will be played on campus. The traditional Army-Navy game will move to the first weekend in December, which was previously reserved for conference title contests.

Conference leaders from the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, and Atlantic Coast Conference supported the expansion. They believe most of the additional spots will go to their member schools. This structure aims to give second-tier teams a new motivation to maintain large budgets for player compensation and rosters in the current era.

Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State and chair of the CFP board, commented on the decision. “Opening the playoff to more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases across the country is great for college football,” Keenum said. “We look forward to seeing this expanded format come to life next season.”

The first national championship game for the 24-team playoff is scheduled for January 24, 2028, in New Orleans. Traditional bowl games will continue to host the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. The CFP requires Power Four teams to play at least 10 qualifying regular-season games against conference rivals, other Power Four opponents, or Notre Dame. Group of Six teams must play 10 games against conference opponents and a mix of other Group of Six teams, Notre Dame, or independent schools.

The agreement guarantees two off weeks during the regular season, which will begin the week before Labor Day. This 24-team structure marks the second expansion of the playoff since it launched in 2014 as a four-team event. It moves beyond the 12-team format adopted in 2024, which many observers believed would be the final size limit.

The Big Ten pushed for a larger field, while the SEC initially resisted due to concerns about the value of its conference title game. Critics note that the selection committee, which has faced scrutiny in recent years, will now have more responsibility. Supporters argue that giving bubble teams hope for a postseason spot will increase viewer interest in regular-season games that previously had limited impact.