College Football Playoff to Expand Starting in 2026

The College Football Playoff just got bigger. According to CBS Sports, the College Football Playoff Board of Managers voted on Friday to expand the playoff field to 12 teams with an aim to implement a larger format in the near future. The vote was reportedly unanimous and could start as late as the 2026 season. However, the board wants to begin the playoff expansion as early as the 2024 season. 

The 12-team bracket will feature the six highest-ranked conference champions as automatic qualifiers and the six highest at large teams following the season. The board includes 11 university presidents and chancellors representing each of the 10 FBS conferences plus Notre Dame president John Jenkins. The CFP Management Committee will oversee the implementation, and the members of that committee will meet in Texas on Thursday. 

In June of 2021, the CFP Management Committee discussed expanding the playoffs from four to 12 teams but a deal wasn't done at the time. The proposal for the expansion was written by a subcommittee that includes Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson.

"The four-team format has been very popular and is a big success, the four members said in a statement. "But it's important that we consider the opportunity for more teams and more student-athletes to participate in the playoff. After reviewing numerous options, we believe this proposal is the best option to increase participation, enhance the regular season and grow the national excitement of college football."  

The contract the College Football Playoff has with ESPN for the four-team format expires in 2025. CFP executive director Bill Hancock previously said the playoff would not expand before the 2025 season. If the expansion begins in 2024, the challenge will be finding enough game sites while having enough hotels and practice facilities for the teams. 

The College Football Playoff began in 2014. Alabama has the most appearances in the playoffs with seven and also has the most playoff wins with nine. Clemson is right behind Alabama with six appearances and six wins. Ohio State and Oklahoma are tied with four appearances and have three wins combined. Georgia, the reigning national champions, appeared in the playoffs twice with three wins.