The expansion of the College Football Playoff is approaching rapidly.
As reported by ESPN — the network that possesses the broadcasting rights to the current 12-team playoff — states that the CFP is “approaching an agreement” to increase the number of teams to 24 and that this arrangement “is anticipated to finalize shortly.”
The 2026 season marks the third year of the 12-team playoff format. This playoff was established before the 2014 season and operated with a four-team setup for its initial decade.
Discussions regarding further playoff enlargement have gained momentum in recent months, particularly after negotiations between the Big Ten and SEC concerning the postseason format. ESPN’s current agreement to broadcast the CFP extends through the 2031 season, with the network expected to acquire the additional matchups from a 24-team playoff.
Participate in or start a Yahoo Fantasy Basketball league for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season
ESPN presently sublicenses parts of the playoff to TNT, which is hosting two first-round matches, two quarterfinals, and a semifinal this season.
The last significant obstacle to expansion has been the future of conference championship matches. The SEC’s conference title game is the most renowned and financially rewarding among them. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey mentioned this week during his conference’s basketball media days that an announcement regarding expansion is likely to occur “sooner rather than later.”
Sankey was likely referencing the knowledge of the forthcoming agreement. The SEC has gradually shown support for a larger playoff bracket.
The cutoff date for altering next season’s playoff structure is December 1, and meeting this deadline now appears to be a mere formality. The playoff will continue at 12 teams for its third consecutive season in 2026 after the Big Ten and SEC were unable to settle on a vision for an expanded format.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti initially proposed an enlarged playoff structure that included a fixed number of automatic entries from each conference.
As discussions on expansion persisted, the four major conferences also aligned in their conference scheduling. The SEC is currently engaged in its inaugural year of a nine-game conference schedule, as the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC now each partake in nine conference games alongside three non-conference games. The SEC mandates its teams to face a power conference opponent (or Notre Dame) within their three non-conference matchups.
