The College Football Playoff is barreling towards a massive expansion to 24 teams, a deal ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Thursday, October 15, is almost finalized. This seismic shift is set to completely reshape the postseason landscape, kicking off with the 2027 college football season. Get ready, because the CFP is also finalizing a separate deal with ESPN to lock down those additional playoff games through the 2031 season.
The Deal Is Done (Almost) But the Community Is Divided
This expanded 24-team format has been floating around and expected for a while now, even with a significant part of the college football community openly opposing it. It is clear the sport is heading in this direction, for better or worse, and the ink is practically dry on the official paperwork. The future of college football’s championship race is about to look very different.
Saban’s Stance: 16 Teams Was The Real Compromise
Amidst all the rumblings, former Alabama head coach and current “College GameDay” analyst Nick Saban stepped up to give his take on Friday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show.” And he didn’t mince words. Saban made it clear he prefers a 16-team format. “I would be for 16. I think that would be a good compromise,” Saban stated, laying out his vision. He continued, “I would be for keeping conference championship games as maybe a play-in to the 16, which now you’d have 20 teams that had hope. But I don’t think there’s much support for that. I don’t think anybody really likes that.” His preferred 16-team format just didn’t garner the kind of attention the 24-team proposal did, which is exactly why we’re seeing the latter on the cusp of finalization.
So, what about this year? This season’s College Football Playoff will stick with 12 teams and operate under the same format we saw last year. It will be just as exciting, probably even more so, once the regular season wraps up. Remember Indiana, who snagged the title last year? They will be looking to go back-to-back, assuming they make the CFP again this season. Get ready for one last ride with the current playoff system before the monster expansion hits in 2027.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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