Sports 4 min read By Callum Montgomery
College Football Playoff nears deal to expand to 24 teams by 2027
The College Football Playoff is closing in on an agreement to expand from 12 to 24 teams by 2027, according to ESPN, in a move that would reshape the US college game and its broadcast economics.
The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand its format to 24 teams by 2027, according to ESPN, a change that would more than double the current 12-team field and significantly alter the structure of the US college football season.
The agreement, which is still being finalised, would represent the most substantial overhaul of the playoff since it moved from a four-team to a 12-team format. It would open the postseason to a far larger group of programmes and create additional high-revenue broadcast windows for the universities and conferences that control the competition.
College football is one of the most valuable properties in American sport, and the playoff generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual media rights revenue. Expansion to 24 teams would increase the number of postseason games, extend the season deeper into January and give more schools a path to the national title. It would also intensify the debate over player workload, academic calendars and the strain on athletes who already face a demanding regular season.
The move comes amid broader realignment in US college sport, with conferences having expanded aggressively in recent years to secure television money and playoff access. A larger playoff field would further concentrate power among the major conferences while offering more opportunities to programmes outside the traditional elite.
ESPN reported that the deal is close but not yet complete, suggesting that final terms — including revenue distribution, automatic qualification and the role of the bowl games — are still under negotiation. The 2027 target gives stakeholders time to restructure the season and rework existing broadcast agreements.
For British readers, the development is a reminder of how commercial sport in the United States is organised differently from the UK model. College football operates as a quasi-professional league within the university system, with media rights, sponsorship and ticket revenue flowing through conferences and institutions rather than a single governing body. Expansion decisions are therefore business decisions as much as sporting ones.
The playoff's growth also mirrors a wider trend in global sport towards larger, more lucrative postseason tournaments. In Europe, football's Champions League has expanded its league phase, while international cricket and rugby have added new competitions. The common driver is broadcast revenue and the demand for more meaningful matches.
If the 24-team format is agreed, it would take effect for the 2027 season, meaning the current 12-team structure would remain in place for the next two campaigns. That timetable would allow the playoff management to negotiate new media contracts and settle the format details, including how many teams receive byes and how the early rounds are staged.
The outcome will be watched closely by athletic directors, conference commissioners and broadcasters, as well as by players and coaches who must adapt to a longer and more demanding postseason. A final agreement is expected in the coming months.
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