College football games kick off later in August. That is welcome news for football fans who are craving pigskin action. And while the college football playoff is months away, the conversation about their future always seems ongoing. WIth that being said, the latest bit of chatter seems a little bit off the wall.
Reports from ESPN’s Pete Thamel and NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach share news that the Big Ten is floating an expanded college football format that could reach 24 or 28 teams.
From Thamel:
While the idea is in the very early stages, the proposal eliminates conference title games and offers a large number of auto bids for all four power leagues, sources said.
For example, in the 28-team model, the Big Ten and SEC would each get seven auto bids while the ACC and Big 12 would each receive five. There would be two auto bids for the non-Power 4 conferences and two at-large teams.
From Auerbach (via this informative thread on Twitter/X):
The idea was described to me as 7 spots for Big Ten, 7 spots for SEC, 5 for ACC, 5 for Big 12, 2 G5, 2 at-large. First two rounds would be played on campuses. First round could be played during the current conference championship weekend.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 16, 2025Could the College Football Playoffs expand to 28 teams?
On the one hand, the idea of a 28-team college football season seems silly. But on the other hand, I can’t rule anything out of the equation because the college football landscape is so wacky that anything is possible. Imagine telling yourself 15 years ago that we would have a 12-team playoff system. Once you are done with that, think to yourself how you would describe NIL and its impact on the game to the version of you who was watching the game 10 years ago. The college football landscape doesn’t feel like it will stick in any one place for too long right now.
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In the end, I do not think a change to the college football playoff system is imminent. Could it be on the horizon? Sure. Again, I refuse to rule out a shakeup in the future. But it is tough to envision a significant change happening just two years into life with a 12-team playoff. However, if notable changes are made, then I will be curious to see the impact elsewhere in the game. An expansion to 24 or 28 teams would likely lead to a reduction in regular-season games. What would this mean for media deals? Could college basketball’s March Madness follow suit with expansion?
This plausible scenario is opening a bag of worms I don’t think I’m ready to dig into right now. Thankfully, games will kick off soon enough and the only playoff we’ll be talking about is the one that takes place later this winter.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 10: The National Championship trophy is displayed after the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Hence then, the article about whoa big ten reportedly floats plans for 28 team college football playoff was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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