College Football: Playoff doubles to 24 teams, New Orleans hosts 2027 title game
The College Football Board approved a 24-team format starting in 2027, ending the era of conference championship games and adding 11 new broadcast slots to ESPN's contract.
By Jenna Mitchell ·
The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams beginning next season.
College officials announced the new structure on Monday. The change ends a three-decade tradition of conference title games. The 2027 national championship game is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2028, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
The new format includes five automatic qualifiers. These spots go to the champions of the Power Four leagues and the top-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences. A selection panel will choose the remaining 19 teams. Notre Dame loses its current guarantee of a spot if it ranks in the top 12. This year marks the final season of the 12-team postseason.
ESPN agreed to a five-year contract extension to cover the 11 new games. The deal adds $1.7 billion to the existing $7.8 billion contract that runs through the 2031 season. The network reported it will not pay $140 million of the extra costs associated with canceling the title games. Conference leaders believe the new revenue will offset the estimated $345 million value of the former Power Four title games.
The playoff will begin on the second weekend in December. The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes. The first two rounds of games will be played on campus. The Army-Navy game will move to the first weekend in December. This slot was previously reserved for conference championships.
The Southeastern and Big Ten conferences approved the change. Their approval was required for adoption. The Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference also support the move. These groups expect most additional spots to go to their members. This creates new financial motivation for second-tier teams to maintain large rosters in an era of NIL deals and $50 million football budgets.
Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State and chair of the CFP board, said the expansion benefits the sport. “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.”
