The new format adds 16 on-campus games and a guaranteed spot for a Group of Six team, while forcing some schools to rework their schedules.
The College Football Playoff is getting bigger. CFP management committee members unanimously approved a move from 12 to 24 teams starting with the 2027-28 season, with ESPN also announcing a deal tied to the expansion.
The bracket will include 23 at-large bids plus one guaranteed spot for the Group of Six. Seeds nine through 24 will play in the first round, with higher seeds hosting on campus, while the top eight seeds get a bye. The second round adds eight more campus games, again with higher seeds hosting. In total there will be 23 games, 16 of them played on college campuses, before the format funnels into the New Year's Six bowls.
The committee said the expansion is meant to give more FBS programs, players and fan bases a shot at the national championship, while new scheduling rules push Power Four teams to play ten Power Four opponents. That requirement is already causing headaches for 2027 scheduling, with Indiana, USC and others needing to rework their non-conference slates to comply.
The playoff started with four teams in 2014 and grew to twelve just last year. This jump to 24 is the largest expansion yet.