While we all knew it was coming, the College Football Playoff & ESPN officially announced this morning that it will expand to a 24-team playoff starting next season. That means this year will be the final 12-team postseason tournament to decide College Football’s national champion.
Now, don’t let the title of this post confuse you. I’m very much a College Football purist. If I had the power to hit a “do over” button and take college football back to the four-team playoff days, or even the early 2000s with the conference alignments that just made sense, epic non-conference matchups, and Bowl Season mattering, I 100% would. But the toothpaste is out of the tube. There’s no going back now.
BREAKING: The College Football Playoff and ESPN have agreed on a five-year deal that will expand the field to 24 teams in 2027, @CFBHeather reports. t.co/SG0MMOuZJE pic.twitter.com/fjkWlQ5Hir
— On3 (@On3) November 9, 2026And before anyone jumps down my throat, I do not think NIL is the main culprit in what’s harmed college football. Do I think it needs some regulation? Absolutely. NIL and the transfer portal have become the Wild West. If we’re going to pay players, and we should, just like any other sport in America, there should be rules and regulations for how we go about things.
What’s harmed college football the most, in my opinion, is greed (obviously) and the current transfer portal system. The greed part is self-explanatory. Schools, conferences, and networks will do whatever they can to make a few extra bucks without thinking about the sport’s long-term health or overall quality. The powers that be don’t care about the actual sport of college football; they care about getting rich. And I get it, it’s a business. But the sport was doing just fine 20 years ago, and no one was crying poor then.
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The transfer portal has also harmed the game. Again, I have no problem with kids being able to transfer. But we have to have some regulation for it. Kids changing schools every year chasing an extra few bucks isn’t helping anyone. If I were in charge, I’d allow a free transfer after a player’s second season, and a free graduate transfer. Unless, of course, your coach leaves. If the coach you committed to leaves a school, a player should be allowed to leave, too.
Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think teaching 18- or 19-year-olds to quit and go to a new school when the going gets tough does them any favors for the future. Didn’t earn a starting job as a freshman? Work harder. Don’t have it after two years? Fine, try your luck elsewhere.
I could rant for much longer on the state of college football, but I’ll just cut it there and move on to the new playoff system.
Oct 17, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Josh Hoover (10) hands off to running back Turbo Richard (1) during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin – Imagn ImagesThe 24-Team Playoff Is Better Than The 12-Team Playoff In College Football’s Current Landscape
As I mentioned above, if I could go back to the 4-team playoff, I would. But that’s not happening. And the 12-team playoff is very flawed, especially with the selection committee. The current selection committee is partnered with ESPN, whose biggest partner is the SEC. Over the past few seasons (especially last year), the playoff field has felt like: how many SEC teams can the committee squeeze in?
Last year, it was Alabama jumping Notre Dame after scraping by a sub-.500 Auburn team, and being blown out in the SEC title game by Georgia, but still getting in. This year, two-loss Alabama and Texas were both ranked ahead of undefeated UCLA. The committee told you right there they were setting up to let in a three-loss SEC team, which was likely a response to Texas getting left out last year despite losing to a sub-.500 Florida team.
With the expansion to 24 teams, these arguments are mostly obsolete. Instead of arguing about two-loss teams being snubbed that can actually win it all, we’re talking about which four-loss team won’t make it. Will some teams and brands still sneak into the field thanks to the logo on their helmet or the conference patch on their jersey? Sure. But now, fewer teams capable of winning the whole thing will be left out because of those factors.
Oct 18, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) runs against Utah Utes during the first quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray – Imagn ImagesSo no, I don’t like the idea of an expanded playoff. But if it means we actually get more of the right teams in, and give more teams with actual chances to win the whole thing an opportunity, I’m for it. Also, now that big-time programs know they can make a playoff with four losses, you’ll probably see them less afraid of scheduling more marquee non-conference games early in the season.
Also, to clear things up, this isn’t meant to be some anti-SEC sentiment, either. I love watching SEC football, and I do think it’s the best conference. But I also think the conference is clearly boosted by rankings, and, in turn, strength of schedule and quality win totals go up.
I’m rambling now, but I hope I’ve made that point. I don’t love the state of college football right now, and I’m not sure many die-hard fans do. But I think the 24-team playoff will, at the very least, take controversial decisions out of the committee’s hands and give the most deserving teams a chance in the playoff.
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