The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams beginning with the 2027–28 season, after the playoff’s management committee approved the change on Nov. 9. The current 2026–27 season will still use the 12-team bracket, giving conferences and teams one more year under the existing format.

How the 24-team bracket will work

Under the approved format, the top eight seeds will receive first-round byes. The first two rounds will be played on campus, moving more of the early playoff games to participating schools’ home venues. The expanded field adds 12 places compared with the current bracket, while keeping the same basic progression toward the national championship.

The change does not alter this season’s path. The College Football Playoff’s official announcement says the 2026–27 playoff will remain at 12 teams; the 24-team format begins the following season. That one-year transition matters for this season’s selection race: teams are still competing for places in the smaller field.

Expansion brings more games and a different home-field role

A larger bracket creates additional postseason opportunities and more first- and second-round games on campus. That changes the playoff experience for fans and gives the top eight seeds a bye, while the remaining teams would have to play through the opening round. The exact matchup and selection rules should be read from the playoff’s official format materials as they are finalized.

The committee’s decision also comes with a major broadcast component. The Associated Press reported that ESPN agreed to pay an additional $1.7 billion over five years for the added games, on top of the existing media-rights arrangement. The expansion therefore changes both the tournament field and the amount of playoff programming carried by the network.

What to watch before the first expanded season

For now, the practical distinction is simple: the 12-team format governs the current season, and the 24-team field is scheduled for 2027–28. Conference representation, selection criteria and the eventual bracket details will shape how much the expanded field changes the route to the championship. Follow more college and professional sports coverage in The Globuzz Sports section.

Sources

College Football Playoff: official 24-team expansion announcement · Associated Press: 24-team field, byes, campus rounds and ESPN rights agreement