The College Football Playoff is expected to expand from 12 teams to 24 beginning in 2027, according to reporting by OutKick. The change would come after three seasons with a 12-team bracket and add games to the postseason schedule.
OutKick reported that ESPN and College Football Playoff representatives are scheduled to meet Thursday to finalize an agreement for ESPN to purchase rights to the additional games. ESPN’s existing agreement to broadcast the playoff runs through 2031, the report said. The source describes the new deal as nearing completion, rather than providing details of a finalized contract.
The reported 24-team format would include 19 at-large selections and five automatic bids. Four automatic spots would go to the Power Four conferences, with the remaining spot reserved for a Group of Six team, according to sources cited by OutKick. The report also says the first two rounds would be played at campus sites.
The expansion could prompt changes elsewhere in college football’s postseason calendar. OutKick’s report suggests that 2026 may be the final season featuring conference championship games across the Power Four and Group of Six conferences, and says fewer bowl games are expected from 2027. Those outcomes are presented as possible consequences of adding playoff games; the report does not describe formal decisions ending title games or specify which bowls could be affected.
The report identifies the SEC and Big Ten as the last two conferences to settle on expansion. It notes that ESPN holds the SEC’s television rights, while Fox has a contract with the Big Ten, a split that could shape discussions surrounding the playoff’s new arrangement. The source does not provide responses from either network or the conferences about those negotiations.
A potential scheduling impact could also extend into regular-season play. OutKick reported that Big Ten teams might be required to schedule an opponent from another Power Four conference. The report does not give a start date or describe such a requirement as formally adopted. It also notes that the SEC moved to a nine-game conference schedule ahead of the current college football season.
The account relies on sources cited by OutKick reporter Trey Wallace for the proposed bracket structure, campus locations, negotiations and possible scheduling changes. The expansion and related arrangements are therefore reported as developments in progress, with some of the broader effects still described as prospective.
