College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams in 2027

College football will feature a 24-team playoff starting with the 2027 season. This change follows the expansion to a 12-team field in 2024.

The new structure uses a 19+4+1 model. Nineteen teams earn at-large bids. Four spots go to the champions of the Power Four conferences. One bid goes to the highest-rated champion from the Group of Six. First and second-round games will be played on the campuses of the participating schools. Quarterfinal and semifinal games will remain in traditional venues like the Sugar, Rose, and Cotton Bowls.

The expansion removes conference championship games. The Southeastern Conference started this tradition in 1992. It generates about $100 million in annual revenue. The SEC confirmed that its 2026 title game between Alabama and Georgia will be the last one. Last year's game had an average audience of 16.9 million viewers. It was the seventh-most watched game of that season.

The Heisman Trophy ceremony will move up one week to the first weekend of December. In 2027, the event is scheduled for December 3 through 5. This creates an open week after the regular season ends in late November. The playoff will start in the first full week of December.

Negotiations between the Big Ten and the SEC led to this decision. The Big Ten pushed for a larger field. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey initially preferred a 16-team format to save the conference championship. The American Athletic Conference, Big 12, and Notre Dame supported the 24-team plan. Both major conferences agreed to evaluate the larger bracket in September.

Sankey required offsetting revenue for the lost SEC title game. He also required at least ten regular-season games against power-conference opponents. The SEC recently moved to a nine-conference game schedule. This change drew complaints from some coaches. It may have helped the SEC accept the new format.

CFP executives plan to seek $70 million to $80 million more than the combined value of the former championship games. This would add more than $320 million to annual rights fees. That figure sits on top of ESPN's existing agreement, which averages $1.3 billion a year. Sources said ESPN could use rights fees from the conferences it holds to fund the expanded deal.

The College Football Playoff said the expansion aims to give more FBS programs a chance to compete for the national title. The organization noted that 16 on-campus games will bring the postseason closer to local fans. New scheduling standards are meant to encourage better non-conference matchups. Ohio State won the first four-team playoff in 2014. The team also won the first 12-team playoff in 2024.