BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The College Football Playoff (CFP) is nearing a deal that would expand the current playoff system, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported Thursday.
According to Thamel, the expanded format would see the CFP go from 12 teams that make the playoff to 24. Thamel also said the new format could eliminate the Power 4 conference championship games and start the season a week earlier.
An endzone pylon at the 2023 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2023.(Jeffery Winborne/WBRC)
Thamel said final details of the potential expansion have not yet been announced, but there have been discussions that the 24-team playoff could include 19 at-large bids, the Power 4 conference champions as determined by the conference, and the highest ranked Group of 6 team.
Thamel also said the New Year’s Six bowl games – Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Cotton Bowl – are still expected to host the quarterfinals, semifinals, and national championship game.
FILE – The championship trophy stands on a table during a news conference ahead of the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game between Georgia and TCU, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Los Angeles. The first-round games of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff will be played on Friday night and Saturday of the third week of December 2024, and the semifinals will be played in early January on weeknights to avoid conflicting with the NFL playoffs, CFP executive director Bill Hancock confirmed on Thursday, April 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)(The Associated Press)
In January of 2026, the CFP announced that the current 12-team model would continue through the 2026-2027 season. According to Thamel, the new playoff model could be put in place as soon as 2027.
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