College Football Playoff Announces Expansion to 24 Teams
The College Football Playoff is set to expand to 24 teams starting next season, introducing a new format with five automatic qualifiers and 19 at-large selections. This significant change aims to include more teams and fan bases across the nation.
Omaha, NE, November 9, 2026 — The College Football Playoff (CFP) is undergoing a significant expansion, set to grow from its current format to include 24 teams starting with the upcoming season. This major shift in the postseason structure is designed to broaden participation and engage a wider range of collegiate athletic programs and their supporters nationwide.
Under the newly announced format, the expanded playoff field will comprise 24 teams. These teams will be selected based on a combination of automatic qualification and at-large bids. Specifically, five teams will earn automatic berths into the tournament. The remaining 19 spots will be filled by at-large selections, chosen by the selection committee.
This move to a 24-team format represents a substantial increase from the previous 12-team proposal and marks a new era for the CFP. The stated objective behind this expansion is to offer more opportunities for teams to compete for the national championship and to include a greater diversity of teams and fan bases from various conferences and regions across the country.
The introduction of more automatic qualifiers is intended to ensure that conference champions, regardless of their overall ranking, have a guaranteed path to the playoff. This contrasts with previous models where conference champions, particularly from smaller conferences, sometimes faced challenges in earning an at-large bid.
The exact selection criteria for the 19 at-large bids, beyond general performance and rankings, have not been detailed. However, the committee will be tasked with evaluating teams based on their season-long performance, strength of schedule, and conference play. The expansion is anticipated to create more compelling matchups throughout the season as teams vie for a coveted spot in the expanded playoff bracket.
Story summarized from the original created by AP via Scripps News Group on www.3newsnow.com, see more information here.
