The 2026 college football season kicks off this weekend, and everyone’s buzzing about it, especially what’s gonna happen when the College Football Playoff rolls around in December and January. This season, we’re still looking at a 12-team CFP, but honestly, it feels like that format’s living on borrowed time. Talk about expanding to 16 or even 24 teams is all over the place, and folks are definitely split.
Jesse Palmer Drops a Truth Bomb on Playoff Dreams
But listen, ESPN’s own Jesse Palmer? He just laid it all out there on Saturday, and he is NOT here for the expansion hype. Palmer didn’t mince words, saying, “I am all for seeing more games in college football as a fan, but as it pertains to competing for national championships, I only want to see teams that actually have a chance of winning a national championship. I do not think we should expand.” Boom! He hit us with the real talk.
The Regular Season’s Future Hangs in the Balance
Palmer even threw some shade at last year’s 12-team setup, saying, “Even last year, in our current 12-team format, no disrespect to JMU or Tulane, but you might as well have given Oregon and Ole Miss bye weeks.” That’s a punch, right? It shows he thinks even 12 teams stretches it too thin. Palmer’s main beef, and it’s a solid one, is about the regular season. He thinks if we blow this thing out to 14, 16, or even 24 teams, “you’re watering down the significance and the importance of the regular season.” And you know what? He’s got a point. More teams mean more leeway to drop a game or two and still make it in. It means lesser teams, ones that wouldn’t have sniffed the CFP in a 12-team world, suddenly get a shot.
Look, Palmer’s got some serious points about keeping the regular season fire lit, but even with all that, it feels like it’s just a matter of time. The whispers are loud, and expansion probably ain’t going anywhere. We’ll see how this 12-team setup plays out this season, but get ready, because the CFP might be getting a whole lot bigger sooner than you think!
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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