CFP Explores 24-Team Playoff but Questions Remain Heading Into 2027

Ever since the College Football Playoff begun its expansion, it was only a matter of time before they inched closer and closer to a 24-team format, and that’s something that the CFP leaders met about on Wednesday in Denver. The majority of discussions centered on a 24-team field over a 16-team format, given that 16 isn’t too far off from 12 and wouldn’t require that much exploration.

That, and once the lid was opened on the 12-team field, more teams will want a piece of the pie. However, executive director Rich Clark told ESPN that the meetings didn’t resolve many of the questions, leading to more on logistics ahead of what would be as soon as a 2027 launch.

Despite having ESPN executives and industry consultants in the room, they didn’t map out a calendar nor discuss revenue figures, two elements that feel essential to any real exploration. But that’s why these discussions are beginning, and why there’s no real sense in mapping out a similar 16-team field when there needs to be real exploration of variables to get to 24.

A key date that looms is the Dec. 1 deadline, which is when any format changes for the 2027 season must be decided by.

The issue centers around conference championship games, and likely their imminent elimination should the field expand to 24. The compounded problem there is whether playoff revenue from an expanded 24-team field would be sufficient enough to offset that revenue lost from the conference championships.

The other key issue is the ability for the Big Ten and SEC to effectively veto any format changes, and if they aren’t on board, nothing changes and things stay at 12. The SEC would prefer 16, per commissioner Greg Sankey, but aren’t closed off to the idea of 24.

The Big Ten, meanwhile, is responsible for much of the headway on the 24-team format. It essentially centers around those two Power conferences, but the other Power Four conferences still hold power and bring their own sets of concerns and priorities.

The committee won’t meet again until September, though they would push an August session if answers can be put to paper.

It just doesn’t feel like the 12-team format has had any real time to marinate before talks overwhelm of more than doubling that field entirely.