playPete Thamel and Heather DinichMultiple AuthorsOct 15, 2026, 01:57 PM ETOpen Extended ReactionsThe College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand the field to 24 teams in 2027, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The deal is expected to come together in the near future, pending final approvals.The CFP and ESPN have been negotiating a new deal for the network to be its continued broadcast partner, leading to a seismic move for the postseason that is also expected to eliminate the lucrative Power 4 conference championship games and start the season a week earlier.While final details have yet to be announced, discussions about the 24-team field have included 19 at-large bids, the Power 4 conference champions as determined by each league and the highest-ranked Group of 6 team.The New Year’s Six bowls (Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton) are still expected to host the quarterfinals and semifinals, with the national championship game remaining in January.Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, whose conference has been the driving force behind the 24-team model, has pushed back against the notion that it will devalue the regular season because the system includes “tiered incentives.”Under the proposed plan, teams seeded Nos. 1 through 8 would earn a first-round bye followed by a home game. (The No. 1 seed would face the winner of No. 16 vs. No. 17, the No. 2 seed would face the winner of No. 15 vs. No. 18 and so on).
Teams hovering around No. 17 and No. 18 would want to move up so they can host a first-round home game (awarded to teams seeded Nos. 9-16), while teams at the bottom are constantly trying to stay in the field or protect their spot.The historic change to the sport’s postseason is expected just two seasons after the field tripled from four to 12 teams. In March 2024, ESPN and the CFP agreed to a six-year, $7.8 billion contract that ensured the network would remain the sole media rights holder for the event through the 2031-32 season.On Sept. 9, ESPN and the CFP entered a 30-day negotiation window to determine what the value of a 24-team field would be. The window closed Oct. 9, but discussions continued through this week.
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