It has been known for weeks now, but on Monday morning, the College Football Playoff and ESPN agreed on a deal which will expand the field to 24 teams starting in 2027, as first reported by ESPN’s Heather Dinich.
The agreement is for five years with a nearly $1.7 billion media rights deal.
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. https://t.co/SG0MMOuZJE pic.twitter.com/fjkWlQ5Hir
— On3 (@On3) November 9, 2026
Notably however, what was a little bit more up in the air was the status of conference championship games, but Pete Nakos of On3 is reporting that all Power Four conference title games including the SEC Championship are going to be eliminated starting next season as well.
BREAKING: The 24-team College Football Playoff will eliminate P4 conference championships starting in 2027, @PeteNakos reports❌https://t.co/SG0MMOuZJE https://t.co/QsmIw2u3wR pic.twitter.com/qGGC7qbR6C
— On3 (@On3) November 9, 2026
The expansion to 24 teams is not popular with fans of the sport, however those opinions have been disregarded by the decision makers in the sport. Ultimately, the financial ramifications of expansion — despite the negative impact it will have on the magnitude of regular season games — were too great for ESPN and the CFP to ignore.
What this means for the sport moving forward remains to be seen, but this is another massive change during what has felt like a lifetime’s worth of them in just the last half decade alone in college football.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
