College Football Playoff Format Slightly Changes In 2026 As Expansion Remains Possible

Aug 11, 2026 04:00 PM - 1 hour ago 1

On Monday, members of the College Football Playoff guidance committee met and concisely discussed perchance expanding the field, according to aggregate reports. Although thing is imminent, the existent 12-team format could alteration arsenic soon arsenic adjacent twelvemonth arsenic convention commissioners and media executives see providing much entree to teams and generating further revenue.

For 2026, the section remains the aforesaid size for the 3rd consecutive year, but the CFP has made mini changes. The champions from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference are guaranteed spots, arsenic is the highest-ranked squad from the American, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West, Pac-12 and Sun Belt. That is somewhat different than past twelvemonth erstwhile the 5 highest-ranked convention champions automatically qualified.

Duke won the ACC past season, but it was not 1 of the 5 highest-ranked convention champions, truthful the Blue Devils were near retired of the field. If this season’s rules were successful effect, Duke would person automatically qualified because the ACC champion is guaranteed a spot.

Notre Dame is different squad that would person benefited a twelvemonth agone if this year’s rules were successful effect. The Fighting Irish were No. 11 successful the last CFP rankings, but they missed the field. No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 James Madison received the last 2 berths because they were among the 5 highest-ranked convention champions.

The CFP action committee received disapproval successful immoderate quarters for leaving Notre Dame retired and giving Miami the last at-large berth past play moreover though the Fighting Irish were classed up of the Hurricanes successful each of the erstwhile CFP rankings. But this year, that statement would beryllium moot because Notre Dame is now guaranteed a spot successful the CFP if it finishes successful the apical 12 of the last rankings. That clause was agreed upon good earlier Notre Dame didn’t make the section and decided to skip a vessel game.

If this year’s rules were successful spot successful 2025, Notre Dame and Tulane would beryllium the past teams successful the field, while Miami and James Madison wouldn’t person been chosen. That would person been hotly debated, too, because Miami defeated Notre Dame successful the play opener for some teams. Instead, Miami squeaked into the section and advanced to the title game, wherever it lost to Indiana.

While the 12-team format remains successful place, Yahoo Sports newsman Ross Dellenger wrote connected X connected Sunday that location is “growing momentum toward a larger field,” apt consisting of 16 aliases 24 teams. Dellenger besides reported that ESPN is “socializing” a 16-team format wherever the last 4 spots would beryllium wished via 4 play-in games, meaning 20 teams would beryllium successful the operation for inclusion successful the field. However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote connected X connected Monday that specified a connection “faces a batch of headwinds,” while CBS Sports newsman Brandon Marcello wrote that CFP executives discussed imaginable description connected Monday “but did not spell into awesome item pinch TV windows (and) media payouts,” nor did they talk the 16-team format pinch 4 play-in games.

The CFP guidance committee consists of 10 convention commissioners and Notre Dame athletics head Pete Bevacqua. Although the committee manages day-to-day operations of the CFP, its decisions are taxable to reappraisal by the CFP committee of managers, which consists of 11 University presidents and chancellors.

When the CFP launched successful 2014, only 4 teams were successful the field. It remained that measurement until the 2024 play erstwhile the CFP leaders expanded it to 12 teams, a move that accrued liking successful the athletics but did not mitigate chatter astir the perfect section size.

As of now, location is nary statement connected the champion format. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has pushed for a 24-team field, while SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has favored 16 teams but is open-minded astir what would activity champion for the leagues, teams, players, media companies and fans.

“We really request to determine and move on,” Sankey told ESPN past month. “The changeless chatter, I don’t cognize if you’ll ever afloat put it to bed, but it conscionable orbits us. We had gone to 12, and 12 was celebrated and each these awesome things and past these numbers get introduced astir apt a twelvemonth and a half ago. All it does is confuse people.”