24 Teams: The New Math of College Football

24.

That is the new number of teams that will compete in the College Football Playoff beginning in 2026. The expansion doubles the current field and fundamentally alters the structure of the sport's postseason. The College Football Playoff and ESPN announced the change on Monday. The move makes official a deal that has been under negotiation for months.

The financial backing for this expansion is substantial. ESPN will pay an additional $1.7 billion over five years. This amount is added to the original $7.8 billion contract that runs through the 2031 season. The total value reaches $9.5 billion. This revenue is intended to offset the loss of conference championship games. Those games generated an estimated $345 million in television money for the Power Four conferences last year. ESPN reported that it will not be responsible for $140 million of the extra costs due to the cancellation of those title games.

The new format grants automatic spots to the champions of the four Power Four conferences. It also includes one automatic slot for the best team from the Group of Six. The remaining 19 spots will be determined by a selection committee. This group will decide which teams make the cut, continuing a long tradition of polls and opinions influencing team fates. The top eight seeds will receive first-round byes. The playoff will start on the second weekend in December. The first two rounds of games will be played on campus. The traditional Army-Navy game will be moved to the first weekend in December, a date previously reserved for conference titles.

The expansion faces skepticism from some within the sport. Nick Dawson, a senior vice president at ESPN, admitted on a conference call that the impact is uncertain. He said, “In all honesty, it’s impossible to know for sure.” The network pays billions to televise regular-season games. The value of those games may shift now that the stakes are distributed across a larger field. The first championship game for the new format is set for Jan. 24, 2028, in New Orleans. Traditional bowl games will still host the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Notre Dame loses its previous guarantee. Under the old system, the team received a spot if ranked in the top 12. Coach Marcus Freeman views the change as a net positive. He noted that a team like his can now afford more than one loss. He also pointed to the new scheduling requirements. “I don’t want this to be like March Madness and have 60-something teams making the playoff,” Freeman said. “But the more opportunities we have to make the playoff, it helps us.”

The expansion requires Power Four teams to play at least 10 regular-season games against conference foes, other Power Four opponents, and Notre Dame. Group of Six teams must play 10 games against conference opponents. These rules aim to standardize strength of schedule. The new schedule also guarantees two off weeks during a regular season that begins the week before Labor Day. The SEC and Big Ten approved the change, banking on the idea that additional spots will go to their members. This dynamic is expected to increase spending on player compensation and roster construction.

Critics argue that the expansion dilutes the regular season. They point to the risk of giving too much power to a selection committee. The exclusion of Florida State in 2023 and Notre Dame last season are cited as examples of past inconsistencies. The first rankings of the current season have also raised questions. Tony Petitti, the Big Ten commissioner, argued that a larger playoff will keep teams competing for home-field advantage and byes. This, he believes, will increase viewership. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said, “If they think it’s a good thing for college football, then I’ve got to believe that this is the route we’re headed.”