The College Football Playoff (CFP) will expand to 24 teams starting in the 2027 season, a move confirmed by conference commissioners and reported by ESPN in October. The new format will include the Power 4 conference champions, the highest-ranking Group of 5 team, and 19 at-large bids, replacing the current 12-team playoff system that debuted this year.
The expansion has drawn mixed reactions. Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, speaking to Newsweek, argued that the larger field will make the regular season more competitive. Leinart suggested teams may schedule tougher non-conference games to strengthen their playoff resumes, stating, “I think we’ll see teams schedule harder non-conference games. I think we need more of that because a lot of these non-conference games have been terrible.”
Leinart also emphasized potential benefits for fan engagement, noting that a 24-team format could create more regional opportunities for games in December, akin to the NFL’s playoff structure. “It’s the same thing we see in the NFL. It’s just more opportunity regionally for people to be invested,” he said.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, however, faced criticism for defending the expansion during an interview with College Sports Radio on Sirius XM. Petitti argued that “more games are going to matter” under the new format, though his remarks were met with skepticism by some observers. Critics, including Fox News, characterized the expansion as a move to “further remove what made college football special” and accused the CFP selection committee of repeated failures, calling for its abolition.
The CFP, which began in 2014 with four teams, has undergone two expansions in its history. The 12-team format, introduced this year, replaced the original four-team playoff. Alabama leads with three national titles under the CFP, followed by Clemson, Ohio State, and Georgia with two each, and Michigan, Indiana, and LSU with one.
The 24-team proposal has gained traction among some coaches and conference commissioners, who argue it will increase job security and participation opportunities. Opponents contend it dilutes the significance of the national championship and undermines the prestige of the regular season.