College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams in 2027 under five-year ESPN deal
The deal is worth nearly $1.7 billion, and the expansion ends conference title games for most leagues.
The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams starting in 2027, under a new five-year agreement between the CFP committee and ESPN. The deal is worth nearly $1.7 billion.
ESPN agreed to cover the costs of ending conference championship games for the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC. The SEC said the 2026 SEC Football Championship Game, set for December 5 in Atlanta, will be its final edition.
The 12-team format lasted only three years. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban criticized the move, saying there are not 24 teams that can win a national title and that the decision is about money. The Group of Six conferences have not yet announced their plans for title games.
Key points
- Playoff grows from 12 to 24 teams starting in 2027.
- ESPN's five-year deal is worth nearly $1.7 billion.
- The 2026 SEC title game will be the last.
- Group of Six conferences have not yet decided on their plans.
Read the original reporting
Summarized with AI from the sources above and reviewed before publishing.
