College Football Playoff Nearing 24-Team Bracket Expansion, Rumors Reveal Timeline for New Format

The long-rumored expansion of the College Football Playoff is getting closer to becoming a reality.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel , the Playoff is nearing a deal to expand the field to 24 teams that would take effect with the 2027 season.

Thamel noted the new format is expected to be finalized in the "near future" as it goes through final approvals.

Updated College Football Playoff Predictions

The current 12-team playoff format was approved in 2022 and took effect with the 2024-25 season.

There has been discussion about expansion dating back to at least 2025 when the Big Ten proposed a format with between 24 to 28 teams. The proposal was met with some resistance in part because it called for eliminating conference title games.

Pete Nakos of On3.com reported the pending agreement will "likely" eliminate conference championship games and the first two rounds of the playoff will be played at the home site of the higher-seeded team.

Teams seeded No. 1 through 8 will receive a first-round bye. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game will be played at neutral sites.

The Big Ten and SEC — the two most prominent conferences in the country — have been at odds over expansion and the format of the playoff at times throughout the process.

Per a January report from ESPN's Heather Dinich , part of the issue stemmed from the SEC's preference for a 16-team format compared to the Big Ten's 24-team proposal.

There had been indications recently that tensions between the two conferences was thawing. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters on Wednesday that "some final decisions" would likely be made "sooner rather than later."

College football has used the playoff system since 2014. It began with a four-team format and remained that way through the 2023 season.

The 12-team format added eight games to the postseason schedule. Big Ten teams Ohio State and Indiana have won the national title in each of the first two years under the expanded field.