College Football Playoff leaders debate expanding to 16 or 24 teams, but left with more questions than answers
By OnzeActu · · 3 min read
College Football Playoff officials discussed expanding the postseason format to 16 or 24 teams during a meeting in Denver. While a move to 16 teams seems less disruptive, expanding to 24 would pose major challenges regarding scheduling and traditional matchups like Army-Navy. Several questions remain unanswered, notably on the management of the conference finals and the health of the players.
College Football Playoff (CFP) officials recently examined options for expanding the postseason format, including debating expansion to 16 or 24 teams at a meeting in Denver, part of a three-day gathering of Division I conference commissioners. Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP, told The Athletic that the meeting raised more questions than it answered. “Each response generated several other questions from the commissioners,” he confided.
Even before the launch of the current 12-team format in 2024, the idea of an extension had been mentioned several times. After long debates on a 16-team Playoff, the Big Ten proposed at the end of last year to increase the number of qualified teams to 24. Since then, the majority of conferences have shown their support, with the exception of the SEC, which remains cautious under the leadership of commissioner Greg Sankey, preferring a more moderate expansion to 16 teams.
The discussion mainly revolved around the logistical and sporting implications of such an expansion. While the 16-team format would be less disruptive to the college football schedule in December, opting for 24 teams would require a major overhaul of that schedule, raising questions about holding conference finals, as well as traditional events like the Army-Navy game.
The well-being of the players is at the heart of concerns, in particular to avoid accumulating matches over a short period. “Student health is a priority, these meetings should not be too close together,” insisted Clark.
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At this point, the Big Ten and SEC hold the deciding weight on which format will be chosen. Due to their differences, the CFP will likely remain at 12 teams for the upcoming season. The management committee has until December 1 to inform ESPN, the exclusive broadcaster until 2031, of the format chosen for 2027. In the event of persistent disagreement, the status quo would be maintained.
One of the major issues concerns the financial value of the additional matches to be negotiated with television partners, which will have to compensate for the possible elimination of the conference finals. The latter represent a jackpot estimated at around $250 million, mainly generated by the major Power 4 conferences.
The Big Ten's proposed scenarios for 24 teams involve an eight-game first phase, first-round forfeits for eight teams, then an eight-game second phase, with the quarterfinals still scheduled for New Year's Eve.
“There are several possible configurations for a 24-team format, and our goal now is to specify these options in detail,” Clark said, emphasizing that no final decision has been made. The committee tasked CFP staff with reflecting on these issues, particularly the organization of the calendar, with a possible follow-up meeting planned as early as August to clarify these points. “They want to understand precisely how the expansion could take place before making a decision,” he summarized.