The College Football Playoff’s expansion to 24 teams in 2027 threatens to upend college football’s traditional playbook. Brian Kelly believes the shake-up will force programs to rethink their priorities, challenge coaching expectations and redefine success. And his biggest argument could change how athletic directors build their programs.
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Speaking with Danny Kanell and Roy Philpott on SiriusXM, Brian Kelly made a rather blunt observation about the new format. Winning a conference championship is no longer the target. Getting into the playoffs is.
“You don’t have to worry about winning the conference championship,” he said. “You need to be one of the 24 teams. And so that’s a paradigm shift in terms of what you’re looking at, in terms of building your football team… So it’s now a lot different in terms of what your ultimate goal is. And that’s get in the playoffs.”
That is quite a change from the old coaching playbook. And Brian Kelly sees an opportunity in it. Programs such as Maryland, Baylor and NC State may not have the same recruiting muscle or financial firepower as Georgia, Ohio State or Alabama. But a 24-team playoff gives them a much more realistic target. They no longer need to build a championship-caliber team simply to have a shot at the postseason.
The new format will include the four Power Four conference champions, the highest-ranked Group of Six champion and 19 at-large selections based on the committee’s final rankings. That leaves considerably more room for programs that can put together a strong season without dominating their conference.
“Ultimately, we just need to make a spectacular playoff,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said.
Brian Kelly thinks a playoff run could bring more money through the door. Schools could even raise luxury-box prices after making the field. And this is much bigger than adding a few teams. The playoff has gone from four to 12 teams and will jump to 24 in 2027. The calendar will change, too, with a new selection date, no Power Four title games and a different setup for bowl season.
The format is expected to eliminate the Power Four conference championship games, move the Army-Navy game and reshape the postseason schedule. ESPN will remain the event’s primary rights holder, with the ability to sublicense six of the 12 additional games.
Brian Kelly has made no secret of his interest in returning to the sideline. He has 35 years of head coaching experience and believes there is still a suitable opportunity waiting somewhere. The former Notre Dame and LSU coach was also careful not to turn his interview into a sales pitch.
“This is not a mini commercial for Brian Kelly,” he said in another post. “I want to listen to opportunities if they’re available and if the fit is right. And so, from my perspective, I would love to be able to be a head football coach again.”
The question now is where that opportunity might come from. Maryland, Baylor and NC State have surfaced in discussions surrounding his potential return. Brian Kelly’s comments about Florida State offer another glimpse into the kind of opportunity he might consider.
“I’ve got a great history with Florida State, great games,” he said. “I know what that’s like, the history and tradition of Florida State, playing in that state, and the fan base… And, certainly, leading that program, from anyone’s perspective, would be an honor and privilege.”
Still, none of that means a deal is close. Brian Kelly has made it clear that the right fit matters more than just finding another job. But the expanded playoff gives him another argument to make to ADs. A program does not necessarily need to win its conference to become nationally relevant anymore.