Inside College Football Playoff's 24-team expansion: What to know about the new format, schedule and fallout

Key Points:

• A new contract between college sports executives and ESPN will expand the College Football Playoff (CFP) to 24 teams starting next season, with the Big Ten and SEC commissioners leading negotiations and controlling format decisions.
• The expanded playoff format includes automatic bids for power conference champions and one Group of Six champion, with 23 at-large bids; the top eight teams receive first-round byes, and early rounds may include weeknight games to avoid NFL schedule conflicts.
• The future of traditional bowl games is uncertain, as many may lose relevance with the expanded playoff; ESPN owns most non-power league bowls and will decide their fate, while a proposed 10-bowl consortium for non-playoff power league teams is still under discussion.
• The expansion is driven primarily by a desire for increased access to the postseason rather than significant new revenue, as schools invest heavily in rosters and seek more opportunities for championship contention and scheduling flexibility.
• The CFP selection committee and process are under review, including potential changes to committee composition, ranking criteria, and whether to expand rankings beyond 25 teams to accommodate the larger playoff field.