College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams in $1.7 Billion ESPN Deal
The College Football Playoff will double to 24 teams in 2027 under a five-year, $1.7 billion ESPN deal that also ends Power Four title games.
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NEW YORK — The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams starting with the 2027 season, after its Management Committee voted unanimously on Monday to double the field in a five-year media rights agreement with ESPN worth nearly $1.7 billion, Reuters reported.
The new format will stage 23 games, with 16 played on campus, up from four. The top eight seeds receive first-round byes, and the field combines the four Power Four conference champions, the highest-ranked Group of Six team and 19 at-large selections.
- The playoff doubles to 24 teams for 2027-28, with 23 games and 16 on-campus matchups.
- ESPN will pay nearly $1.7 billion over five years, an extra $345 million a year, for exclusive rights to 2031-32.
- Power Four conference championship games will end; the regular season closes on 27 November 2027.
- This season stays at 12 teams, with the title game on 25 January 2027 in Las Vegas.
What the 24-team bracket looks like
The four champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC qualify automatically, as does the highest-ranked team from the Group of Six conferences — the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 and Sun Belt. The other 19 places go to the highest-ranked remaining teams, and Notre Dame receives no guaranteed place. Weeknight games are likely, with the regular season ending on Saturday, 27 November 2027.
| Feature | 12-team format (2026-27) | 24-team format (2027-28) |
|---|---|---|
| Teams | 12 | 24 |
| Playoff games | 11 | 23 |
| On-campus games | 4 | 16 |
| First-round byes | 4 | 8 |
| At-large bids | 7 | 19 |
| Championship | 25 January 2027, Las Vegas | 24 January 2028, New Orleans |
Conference title games come to an end
The agreement also ends the conference championship games held by the Power Four leagues; the SEC and Big Ten had already recognised they would not survive the move to 24 teams. New scheduling standards will push schools towards stronger non-conference opponents, and the extra campus games should bring playoff football to more students and communities.
A $1.7 billion bet on live sport
ESPN has held the playoff rights since the event began in 2015, and the new agreement keeps it as the exclusive worldwide rightsholder through the 2031-32 season, subject to sublicensing rights. The network will present all 23 games plus the selection show and weekly rankings. The extra $345 million a year sits on an existing $7.8 billion package that runs to 2032.
"ESPN and the College Football Playoff have worked collaboratively for more than a decade to make the CFP one of the marquee events in all of sports, and we remain firmly committed to elevating it in its new, expanded 24-team format," ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.
The price tag shows how much live sport is now worth to broadcasters, with rights fees for the biggest competitions climbing even as audiences fragment. Wall Street has spent the week repricing media and technology stocks after the post-midterm sell-off, while technology companies have made billion-dollar commitments, including Google's $15 billion plan for data centres in Malaysia.
How the deal came together
ESPN and the playoff opened a 30-day negotiating window in September. On 6 November the playoff said an agreement was in the final stages, and Monday's announcement came ahead of the 1 December deadline. The vote was unanimous among the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, according to Front Office Sports. It is the second expansion in two years: the playoff, founded in 2014, grew from four to 12 teams in 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 24-team playoff start?
The 2027-28 season. The first 24-team field is announced on 28 November 2027, games begin in the first full week of December, and the title game is on 24 January 2028 in New Orleans.
How many teams qualify automatically?
Five: the four Power Four champions and the highest-ranked Group of Six team. The other 19 places are at-large bids, and the top eight seeds get first-round byes.
What happens to conference championship games?
Power Four title games will end. The regular season closes on 27 November 2027, and new scheduling standards should encourage stronger non-conference games.
How much is ESPN paying for the expanded playoff?
Nearly $1.7 billion over five years, about $345 million extra per year, on top of the existing $7.8 billion deal, with exclusive rights through the 2031-32 season.
The next marker comes on Tuesday night, when the committee releases its second rankings of the season between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. ET.
