College Football Playoff Doubles to 24 Teams in $1.7bn ESPN Deal
The College Football Playoff will double in size to 24 teams from the 2027-28 season, after the sport’s management committee voted unanimously on Monday to approve the expansion alongside a new five-year media rights agreement with ESPN worth nearly $1.7 billion.
Announced on 9 November, it is the second expansion of the playoff in four years: the field grew from four teams to 12 for the 2024 season, and from 2027 it will double again, taking the number of postseason games from 11 to 23.
What the new 24-team format looks like
The playoff will begin during the first full week of December and conclude with the national championship game on 24 January 2028 in New Orleans. The first 24-team field will be announced on 28 November 2027, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Sixteen of the games will be played on campus, bringing playoff football to university stadiums across the country. In its announcement, the CFP said: “The expanded format will feature 16 on-campus Playoff games, which will bring Playoff football to more students and local fans while providing a positive impact for campus communities.”
Reports say the field will include five automatic qualifiers — the champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, plus the highest-ranked champion from the other six conferences — with 19 at-large selections filling the remaining places. The CFP has not formally released the full bracket structure, so the final shape of the draw remains to be confirmed.
The $1.7 billion ESPN deal
Field Level Media reported that ESPN will pay about $345 million a year in additional rights fees under the five-year agreement, taking its total commitment for the expanded playoff to nearly $1.7 billion. The deal sits on top of the six-year, $7.8 billion contract the two sides signed in March 2024, and makes ESPN the exclusive worldwide rights holder for the playoff through the 2031-32 season.
The network will televise the entire playoff, with the option to sublicense selected games, and will carry at least three games from each of the first two rounds on ABC. TNT Sports keeps its existing sublicensed games — two first-round games, two quarter-finals and one semi-final — through 2028.
The Athletic put the net additional cost to ESPN at roughly $200 million a year, once the cancelled title games are accounted for.
Conference championship games come to an end
The expansion also brings an end to the Power 4 conference championship games. Each of the four leagues — the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 — announced on Monday that the title games scheduled for this season will be the last.
ESPN held the broadcast rights to the SEC, ACC and Big 12 title games, and the new agreement returns some of that money to the network as compensation for their cancellation. What is now championship weekend will instead feature the Army-Navy game and the Heisman Trophy presentation.
Why the playoff is growing again
The case for expansion has centred on access. With 138 teams competing at the top level of college football, 12 places left most of the sport on the outside. “You look at right now, there’s 12 teams or 12 spots available for 138 teams,” Matt Baker of The Athletic told NPR, describing access as the main driver of the change.
The 2026 season has underlined the point. USC stunned No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 on Halloween night, and seven ranked teams fell in Week 9. A 24-team field would have room for far more of the sides caught up in that kind of chaos.
Talks had been under way since an exclusive negotiating window opened in September. On 6 November the CFP said a formal agreement was in the “final stages” of review; three days later, the committee voted unanimously to approve it.
What happens next
The 2026-27 season will be played under the existing 12-team format, with the expansion taking effect the following year. The first championship game under the new system is scheduled for 24 January 2028 in New Orleans, and the bracket will be revealed on 28 November 2027.
For supporters, the change means more meaningful football in December and more games on campus. For the conferences, it means the end of title games that have anchored the calendar for decades — and a much bigger cheque from ESPN.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 24-team College Football Playoff start?
The expanded field begins with the 2027-28 season. The first 24-team bracket will be announced on 28 November 2027, and the championship game will be played on 24 January 2028 in New Orleans.
How many games will the expanded playoff have?
Twenty-three games, up from 11 under the current 12-team format. Sixteen of them will be played on campus.
What happens to conference championship games?
The Power 4 leagues will play their final title games this season. From next season, championship weekend will feature the Army-Navy game and the Heisman Trophy presentation instead.
How much is ESPN paying for the new deal?
Nearly $1.7 billion over five years, or about $345 million a year in additional rights fees, on top of the existing $7.8 billion contract that runs through the 2031-32 season.
