Team College Football Playoff With Four Play

Key Points:

• The 2026–27 college football season will end with the third edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP), which is the first expanded format since the four-team playoff began in 2014–15, but this 12-team format may be the last before further expansion.
• The SEC favors a 16-team playoff, while the Big Ten is pushing for a 24-team field, and ESPN is proposing a compromise with a 20-team format involving four play-in games; however, the Big Ten has not yet supported this compromise.
• The Big Ten and SEC have control over future CFP formats, and if they cannot agree, the 12-team format will remain, which aligns with ESPN’s current exclusive broadcast rights that cover playoffs up to 14 teams.
• A hypothetical 20-team playoff based on the 2025 season would feature four play-in games and a first round of 16 teams, potentially eliminating conference championship games to fit the schedule, and would produce intriguing matchups including rematches and regional rivalries.
• Even with expansion, access for Group of 6 programs is unlikely to increase significantly, as recent rule changes have limited automatic bids for these teams, and this trend is expected to continue regardless of playoff size.