ESPN, CFP agree to deal to expand from 12 to 24 teams in 2027

The College Football Playoff national champion trophy. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN, CFP agree to five-year, $1.7B deal to expand from 12 to 24 teams in 2027

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 9, 2026 12:36 PM ET

Those who hoped the College Football Playoff would come to its senses had their hopes dashed on Monday.

ESPN college football reporter Heather Dinich shared the CFP and ESPN have agreed to a five-year, $1.7B deal that will double the bracket from 12 teams to 24 in 2027. The decision will eliminate Power Four conference championship games, making it even more unpopular.

How does this decision impact college football?

To a more casual fan, this may not seem like a terrible idea. More teams equals more opportunity, and, in theory, it could make college football's postseason more like college basketball's March Madness, which features 68 teams in the men's and women's brackets. Those who are more plugged into the sport will loathe this change and call it a money grab. That take is justified.

Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban told the "New Heights" podcast last week that there aren't "24 teams in the country that can win the national championship," and the only reason for expansion was money.

Breaking: The College Football Playoff and ESPN have signed a five-year, nearly $1.7 billion deal that will expand the field to 24 teams in 2027 with ESPN as its continued broadcast partner, sources told @CFBHeather. pic.twitter.com/B9tzAPqnoe
— ESPN (@espn) November 9, 2026

"But what you're giving up, which is what I hate to see is the SEC Championship Game, playing in the SEC Championship was a big thing to our players, it was a big thing to our fans, it was tradition, it was a great venue," Saban said. "There's only two teams that can play in the national championship, but more teams can play in those kind of championship games, and there's a lot of pride in winning those conference championship games."

There's also a lot of pride in winning regular-season games. Those become far less significant with CFP expansion. Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger shared that the No. 22-ranked Arizona Wildcats (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) and the No. 23-ranked Oregon Ducks (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) would have two of the final three spots in a proposed 24-team bracket. The last spot would go to the No. 24-ranked Boise State Broncos (8-1, 5-0 Pac-12) as the highest-ranked Group of Six team.

Here's how the CFP's proposed 24-team expanded playoff bracket would look if using the selection committee's rankings today. pic.twitter.com/Q5YXn3myun
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 4, 2026

Many of these hypothetical matchups look like potential bowls this upcoming postseason. Bowls have struggled to stay relevant in the CFP era, so raising the stakes for these matchups could convince some to tune in. That said, including them in the CFP would saturate the tournament.

Many college football fans don't want this change, and understandably so. However, it benefits a handful of people. People who have the power to make decisions that change the fabric of the sport, even if it may not be for the better.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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