College Football Playoff Reportedly Nears Deal to Expand to 24 Teams

Birmingham, AL, October 15, 2026 —

The College Football Playoff is reportedly nearing an agreement to expand its field to 24 teams, a change that could reshape parts of the college football season. The expanded format could take effect as soon as 2027, but a deal has not been confirmed in the information provided.

The proposed expansion could affect conference championship games and lead to an earlier start to the season. The available details do not specify how conference title games might change or how much earlier the season could begin. They also do not describe the proposed playoff schedule or selection process.

The report characterizes the agreement as nearing completion, rather than finalized. No details were provided about who is negotiating the deal, what terms remain unresolved or when an official decision might be announced. The exact start date, if the change proceeds, was not provided; 2027 is the earliest possible implementation year mentioned.

A 24-team format would represent a larger playoff field than the system currently described in the report, but no further information was provided about how teams would qualify, how many games teams might play or how the expanded field would be organized. The summary also does not identify which conferences or other parties would be affected.

For now, the reported proposal remains subject to an agreement. Whether it is approved, and what specific changes it would bring to conference championships and the season calendar, has not been stated.

Story summarized from the original created by Brett Batchelor on www.wbrc.com, see more information here.

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