24-team College Football Playoff explained: who gets in, the bracket and the money
The Playoff expands from 12 to 24 teams in 2027-28. Here is who qualifies, how the 23-game bracket works, what happens to conference title games, and what is official versus reported about the money.
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What we know
- The CFP Management Committee unanimously approved a 24-team Playoff on Nov. 9, 2026, starting with the 2027-28 season and running through 2031-32, per the CFP.
- The field is four power-conference champions, one highest-ranked team from the other six conferences, and the 19 highest-ranked remaining teams.
- Seeds 1-8 get byes; seeds 9-16 host seeds 17-24 on campus; the Playoff goes from 11 to 23 games, 16 of them on campus.
- The CFP says each conference decides the future of its championship game; the Big Ten has announced, and the SEC is reported to have said, that their Dec. 5, 2026 games will be their last.
- The CFP did not disclose financial terms; ESPN, citing sources, reports about $1.7 billion over five years for the additional rights.
- The 2026-27 Playoff keeps the 12-team format.
The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams starting with the 2027-28 season. The Playoff’s Management Committee approved the change unanimously on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, and the field stays at 24 teams through the 2031-32 season, per the CFP announcement. Nothing changes this season: the 2026-27 Playoff still has 12 teams. All details below are as of Nov. 11, 2026.
Who gets in
The 24-team field has three groups, per the CFP’s announcement and 24-Team Format Fact Sheet:
- Four are the champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, as determined by those conferences.
- One spot goes to the highest-ranked team from any of these six conferences: the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. That team does not have to be a conference champion.
- Nineteen are the highest-ranked remaining teams in the selection committee’s final ranking.
How the bracket works
Per the CFP, seeds 1 to 8 each earn a first-round bye and host a second-round game on campus. Seeds 9 to 16 host first-round games on campus against seeds 17 to 24. The quarterfinals and semifinals stay at the six CFP bowls: the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar. The national championship follows.
- 23 games in all, up from 11 today: 8 in the first round, 8 in the second, 4 quarterfinals, 2 semifinals and the final.
- 16 games on campus, up from four, per the CFP.
- Games per team (ChorusWire arithmetic): a team with a bye plays at most four Playoff games; a team without one plays at most five.
The regular season also changes. Beginning in 2027-28 there will always be two open weeks in the regular season, and the Playoff begins the first full week of December, per the CFP. The CFP has not yet announced the 2027 Selection Day or the first- and second-round dates.
Key dates
- 2026-27 (12 teams): Selection Day is Sunday, Dec. 6; first-round games are Friday, Dec. 18 and Saturday, Dec. 19; the championship game is Monday, Jan. 25, 2027, in Las Vegas, per the CFP’s schedule.
- 2027-28 (24 teams): quarterfinals on Dec. 31, 2027 and Jan. 1, 2028; semifinals on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14, 2028; the first 24-team championship game on Monday, Jan. 24, 2028, in New Orleans, per the CFP’s bowl dates and announcement.
- 2028-29: the championship game is set for Monday, Jan. 22, 2029, in Tampa Bay, per the CFP.
What happens to the conference title games
The CFP says decisions on the future of conference championship games rest with each conference, per its announcement. The Big Ten has officially announced that its Dec. 5, 2026 championship game will be its last, per the Big Ten. The SEC’s 2026 championship game will also be its last under the current format, according to reporting citing the conference’s announcement. ESPN reports that all four Power Four championship games will end under the new arrangement, but ChorusWire has not independently confirmed equivalent announcements from the ACC and Big 12. The CFP itself leaves those decisions to the individual conferences.
The money: what is official and what is reported
The CFP did not disclose financial terms. ESPN, citing sources, reports that the additional rights for the expanded format are worth about $1.7 billion over five years, on top of the existing media agreement valued at $7.8 billion over six years, per ESPN. Treat the $1.7 billion figure as reported, not confirmed by the Playoff. CFP executive director Rich Clark said how revenue is divided among conferences is not changing, per the same ESPN report.
What people are saying
CFP board chair Mark Keenum said expansion opens the Playoff to “more programs, more student-athletes and more fan bases,” per the CFP. Clark said officials are aware of fan sentiment, per The Sporting Tribune. Critics ask whether a bigger Playoff makes the regular season matter less; supporters point to more chances for more teams and campuses. It is not yet known how that will play out.
For this season’s format, see our 12-team College Football Playoff explainer.
Video explainer: ChorusWire on YouTube, youtube.com/@ChorusWire.
Quick answers
When does the 24-team College Football Playoff start?
With the 2027-28 season. The 2026-27 Playoff stays at 12 teams.
How many games will the 24-team Playoff have?
Twenty-three, including 16 on campus, per the CFP.
Do the top eight seeds get byes?
Yes. Seeds 1 to 8 skip the first round and host a second-round game on campus.
Are conference championship games ending?
The Big Ten and SEC say their Dec. 5, 2026 games will be their last. The CFP leaves the decision to each conference.
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- CFP: CFP to Expand to 24 Teams Starting with the 2027-28 Season (release and 24-Team Format Fact Sheet) (accessed Nov. 11, 2026)
- CFP: Quarterfinal and Semifinal Dates and Bowl Sites for 2026 and 2027 (accessed Nov. 11, 2026)
- CFP: Selection Committee prepares for 2026-27 (schedule) (accessed Nov. 11, 2026)
- ESPN: Sources: CFP, ESPN ink 5-year, $1.7B deal to expand field to 24 teams (accessed Nov. 11, 2026)
- Big Ten: 2026 Marks the Final Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game (accessed Nov. 11, 2026)
- NJ.com via Yahoo Sports: Greg Sankey reacts to end of SEC Championship Game (accessed Nov. 11, 2026)
- The Sporting Tribune: College Football Playoff to expand to 24 teams in 2027 (accessed Nov. 11, 2026)
