24-Team Playoff Expansion Official as ESPN Inks New Deal

College Football Playoff Release

IRVING, Texas – The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee today, November 9, unanimously approved Playoff expansion to 24 teams, beginning with the 2027-28 college football season.

The CFP also announced that it has reached a new media rights agreement with ESPN. This agreement makes ESPN the exclusive, worldwide rightsholder to the expanded 24-team Playoff, beginning with the 2027-28 season. The exclusive home of the CFP since its inception in 2015, ESPN (subject to the sublicensing rights noted below) will present all 23 games of the new format. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The agreement also includes continued exclusive rights to all ancillary programming connected to the Playoff, such as the CFP Selection Show, weekly CFP Top 25 Rankings shows and more.

A 24-team CFP Format Fact Sheet can be found at the end of this release. Among the highlights:

• The 24-team CFP field will be comprised of the four conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC (as determined by their respective conferences), the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, OR Sun Belt; and the 19 highest-ranked remaining teams in the final CFP Selection Committee ranking.

• The CFP Management Committee has adopted scheduling standards that will enhance the regular season by encouraging scheduling of additional compelling non-conference, regular season matchups. These standards are outlined in the Fact Sheet section below.

• 16 of the 23 Playoff games will be played on campus (up from four), building on the success of the on-campus games from the current 12-team format.

·      No CFP games will be scheduled in conflict with the historic Army – Navy game.

• CFP Quarterfinals and CFP Semifinals will continue to be played at the six CFP bowl partner locations (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, Sugar)

QUOTES

Regarding expansion, the CFP issued the following statement:

“The decision to expand was driven by a desire to increase opportunities for FBS programs, student-athletes and fan bases to participate in the Playoff and have a chance to play for the CFP National Championship, while new scheduling standards incentivize institutions to schedule more compelling non-conference matchups during the regular season. The expanded format will feature 16 on-campus Playoff games, which will bring Playoff football to more students and local fans while providing a positive impact for campus communities.”

Chairman of the CFP Board of Managers, Dr. Mark Keenum:

“I would like to commend the CFP Management Committee for their vision, diligence and collaboration in reaching this landmark decision, Executive Director Rich Clark for his steady leadership throughout the expansion process, and the CFP staff as a whole for their work and support. Opening the Playoff to more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases across the country is great for college football. We look forward to seeing this expanded format come to life next season.”

CFP Executive Director, Rich Clark:

“We will make the 24-team Playoff spectacular for the fans, student-athletes, their institutions and all our stakeholders. That is our commitment. Our organization delivers a world-class championship experience at our games and our events, and this promise will continue under the new format. 23 games of Playoff football, featuring 24 ranked teams going head-to-head for the right to be crowned the true national champion.

We are also thrilled to continue our broadcast partnership with ESPN, which has been a terrific partner of the CFP since its inception. Like the CFP, ESPN celebrates everything that makes the sport of college football so great. The promotion, storytelling and innovation ESPN brings to the CFP, college football fans and the sport in general, is second to none. We know that level of excellence will continue as we embark on this journey to a 24-team format. We’d like to thank our media advisors at CAA for their work and support getting this agreement completed. This would not have been possible without their guidance and expertise.”

ESPN Chairman, Jimmy Pitaro:

“ESPN and the College Football Playoff have worked collaboratively for more than a decade to make the CFP one of the marquee events in all of sports, and we remain firmly committed to elevating it in its new, expanded 24-team format. We value the trust that the CFP has placed in us as its exclusive media partner, and our continued presentation of this premier championship further solidifies ESPN as the home of college football and the destination for college sports for years to come.”

24-TEAM CFP FORMAT FACT SHEET

THE FIELD

The 24-team CFP field will be comprised of:

• 4: the conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC (as determined by their respective conferences);
• 1: the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, OR Sun Belt; and;
• 19: the 19 highest-ranked remaining teams in the CFP Selection Committee’s final ranking

SCHEDULING STANDARDS

As part of expanding to 24 teams, the CFP Management Committee has adopted the following scheduling standards that will incentivize institutions to schedule additional compelling non-conference, regular season matchups:

Autonomy 4 Conference (A4) Scheduling Standards

• Each A4 institution will be expected to play at least 10 qualifying regular season games consisting of the following:
• Conference games
• Non-conference games versus A4 conference opponents and Notre Dame

Group of 6 Conference (G6) Scheduling Standards

• Each G6 institution will be expected to play at least 10 qualifying regular season games consisting of the following:
• Conference games
• Non-conference games against a G6 or A4 opponent, Notre Dame or Independent institutions other than Notre Dame

The CFP Selection Committee will not give any weight to a win over more than one (1) FCS opponent per season.

Please note the CFP Management Committee may grant a waiver from these requirements in extraordinary circumstances.

MORE PLAYOFF GAMES ON CAMPUS

Building on the success of the on-campus games introduced in the 12-team format, both the CFP First and Second rounds of the expanded Playoff will be played on the campus of the higher seed. A total of 16 Playoff games will now be played on campus, bringing Playoff football to more students and local fans while providing a positive impact for campus communities. The previous 12-team format featured four games on campus.

ARMY – NAVY

• No CFP games will be scheduled in conflict with the historic Army – Navy game.
• The Army – Navy game is a national treasure that showcases our future leaders. The Management Committee has worked closely with American Conference Commissioner, Tim Pernetti on behalf of both academies and CBS Sports to provide a solution that preserves the tradition’s protected window from Playoff games while providing Army and Navy an opportunity to compete for a national championship. The CFP is proud of this collaborative effort to protect what makes college football special.

HEISMAN

• In collaboration with the CFP, Heisman will move Heisman Trophy Weekend one week earlier preserving one of college football’s most cherished traditions while adapting to the sport’s evolving postseason calendar. In 2027, Heisman Weekend will be held December 3-5.

SEASON SCHEDULE NOTES

• Beginning in 2027-28, there will always be two open weeks in the regular season
• The final regular season games during the 2027-28 season will take place on Saturday, November 27, 2027
• The 2027-28 Playoff will begin the first full week of December, providing each qualifying team an open week before the CFP First Round starts
• The top eight seeds will have two open weeks before playing their first game
• Additional key dates, including Selection Day, will be announced at a later time

SEEDING AND FIRST/SECOND ROUND SCHEDULING

• Seeds 1-8 will each earn a first-round bye and will each host a CFP Second Round game on their respective campuses 
• Seeds 9-16 will each host a CFP First Round game on their respective campuses against seeds 17-24
• First and Second Round games will be played on the Thursday-Saturday of their respective weekend

CFP QUARTERFINALS AND CFP SEMIFINALS

• CFP Quarterfinals and CFP Semifinals will continue to be played at the six CFP bowl partner locations as with the 12-team format
• Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
• Vrbo Fiesta Bowl
• Capital One Orange Bowl
• Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
• Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential
• Allstate Sugar Bowl

CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HOST CITIES AND DATES

• Las Vegas, Monday, January 25, 2027 (12-team Playoff)
• New Orleans, Monday, January 24, 2028 (first edition of the 24-team Playoff)
• Tampa Bay, Monday, January 22, 2029 (24-team Playoff)

ADDITIONAL MEDIA RIGHTS AND BROADCAST DETAILS WITH ESPN

• Agreement brings every game of the 23-game Playoff to ESPN and/or ABC, with ESPN retaining the right to sublicense select games. This new sublicensing right is in addition to its existing sublicense with TNT Sports, which was announced in May 2024. Additional details regarding programming plans and distribution of the expanded Playoff will be announced at a later date.
• Beginning with the 2027-28 season, ESPN will broadcast at least three games from each of the new CFP First Round and CFP Second Round on ABC, building on the added exposure offered this year via ABC and ESPN simulcasting the CFP National Championship (in addition to its signature MegaCast presentation across ESPN networks), as well as one CFP Semifinal, one CFP Quarterfinal and one CFP First Round game. The agreement also continues ESPN’s expansive rights to simulcast or MegaCast CFP games across all Walt Disney Company networks.
• Broad distribution rights across The Walt Disney Company platforms continue; Disney Advertising remain exclusive seller of the CFP Official Sponsor Program

12 TEAMS FOR THE CURRENT 2026-27 CFP, 24 TEAMS FROM 2027-28 THROUGH 2031-32

• Reminder that this year’s 2026-27 CFP will be played under the current 12-team Playoff format.
• The Playoff will remain at 24 teams for the duration of this agreement (through the 2031-32 season).