College Football Playoff: 24-team expansion begins next season
The expansion ends the conference title game era and adds $1.7 billion to ESPN’s five-year broadcast deal.
By Tomas Gonzalez ·
College football’s postseason will double in size to 24 teams starting next season.
Leaders in the sport announced the new format on Monday. The change ends a three-decade era in which conference championship games served as primary marquee events. The new structure replaces those games with an expanded playoff bracket.
ESPN agreed to modify its existing contract to cover the 11 additional games. The network described the agreement as a five-year deal worth an additional $1.7 billion. This amount sits on top of a $7.8 billion contract that remains in effect through the 2031 season.
Financial details regarding the distribution of revenue were not fully disclosed. However, the new revenue stream is expected to offset the estimated $345 million value of the Power Four conference title games that are being eliminated. ESPN reported it will not be liable for $140 million of the extra money due to the cancellation of those specific events.
The new format includes five automatic qualifiers. These spots go to the champions of the Power Four leagues and the highest-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 ranked in the top 12, a protection that expires with the 12-team postseason this year.
Seeding and scheduling rules have also changed. The top eight seeds receive first-round byes. The playoff begins on the second weekend in December, with the first two rounds played on campus. The Army-Navy game will move to the first weekend in December, a slot previously reserved for conference championships.
Conference leaders from the Southeastern, Big Ten, Big 12, and Atlantic Coast leagues supported the change. They expect most of the new spots to go to their member schools. This outlook aims to encourage mid-tier programs to continue heavy spending on player compensation and rosters valued at $50 million. Mark Keenum, Mississippi State president and chair of the CFP board, stated, "Opening the playoff to more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases across the country is great for college football."
We look forward to seeing this expanded format come to life next season.
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