Somewhere, a college football bracket is quietly doubling in size. The College Football Playoff expansion to 24 teams is reportedly 95 percent done, and the extra games could be worth more than $300 million a year. That is the word from The Athletic, which cited two people familiar with the negotiations.
Nobody has signed anything yet. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports the deal should come together soon, pending final approvals. Still, when the network that owns the playoff says the finish line is in sight, it is time to take the bracket seriously. Our earlier report on the playoff’s reported jump to 24 teams lays out how we got here.
How the 24-team playoff would work
The format on the table is simple on paper. It would include the Power 4 conference champions, as each league decides them, plus the highest-ranked Group of 6 team. The other 19 spots would go to at-large teams.
Seeds 1 through 8 would get a first-round bye. Seeds 9 through 16 would host seeds 17 through 24, and the top eight would then host the first-round winners. Per ESPN, the New Year’s Six bowls would still host the quarterfinals and semifinals, and the title game stays in January.
One outlet described the format differently, with 23 at-large bids and no automatic conference champion spots. That conflicts with the better-sourced ESPN and Athletic reporting, so treat it with caution.
Why ESPN is paying more for CFP expansion
This is where the money gets loud. ESPN already holds the rights under a six-year, $7.8 billion contract signed in March 2024. According to Sportico, the expansion package never went up for bid on the open market.
ESPN would buy the extra games through 2031, the same length as its current deal. The exact price is fuzzy. The Athletic says north of $300 million a year, while Sportico believes it is closer to $325 million. Those are estimates from sources, not official numbers. We also tracked how the ESPN talks rolled on past the deadline.
Awful Announcing adds a deadline: ESPN reportedly had until Oct. 19 to agree before the rights could have gone to the open market. Nothing focuses a negotiation like a clock.
Here’s the thing: the 24-team CFP may kill conference title games
Here is the part fans should not skim past. The expanded college football playoff is also expected to eliminate the Power 4 conference championship games and move the season start up a week. A bracket this big has to fit somewhere on the calendar.
That is why commissioners have haggled over the money. Those title games bring in real cash, and the new deal has to make up for losing them. The SEC’s Greg Sankey also set conditions in an August memo, including a requirement that power-conference teams play 10 games against power-conference opponents or Notre Dame.
The ACC, Big 12 and SEC already require that. The Big Ten has not formally finalized it but was not expected to object, according to CBS Sports.
What fans think of College Football Playoff expansion
Here is the awkward twist. An Athletic fan survey found 70 percent of respondents opposed 24 teams, with just 30 percent in favor. The people who actually watch the games are not exactly throwing a parade.
The Big Ten led the push, with the ACC and Big 12 on board. The sport started with four playoff teams in 2014 and went to 12 in 2024. Now it is racing toward 24, and the 2026 season would be the last under the 12-team format. For a taste of the current field, check out the latest bracket, where UCLA crashes in and LSU gets bounced.
Before the news broke, Sankey told reporters a decision would likely come “sooner rather than later.” Last month, the CFP management committee said talks with ESPN did not represent a commitment to expand. Based on this week’s reporting, that line is getting thinner by the day.
Final approvals are still ahead, along with the calendar details: where 12 extra games fit in December and what happens to the SEC title game after this season. The bracket is nearly built. Now the question is whether anyone will still have a Saturday free.
