The College Football Playoff may be about to double in size, and the SEC’s top official is already sounding open to it. The latest development comes after weeks of negotiations among conference leaders and growing pressure. On it, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey says final decisions should come soon.
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“The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams, per sources,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel broke the news on X. “The new format will start in 2027 and is expected to come together in the near future, pending final approvals.”
Sankey has been clear about what the SEC expects before it signs on, as he explained at SEC basketball media day on October 15. First, he wants scheduling commitments.
“I think in general, we have achieved some of the progress we’ve expected on scheduling commitments,” Sankey said. “We’ll see if we can finalize those across the nation.”
He has argued that regular-season scheduling standards should be part of any expansion deal. Second, he wants the SEC covered for lost conference championship revenue if the title game goes away.
The SEC has moved to nine conference games and requires each team to play at least one nonconference Power Four opponent. The Big Ten also plays nine, but it dropped its own Power Four nonconference rule, and its officials have said they would bring a tougher requirement back if the SEC agrees to 24 teams.
But nothing is signed yet, and the 2026 season will stay at 12 teams. Besides, plenty is still open. The final format, the number of automatic bids, and the bye structure have not been settled. Neither has the way new television money would be split, or whether ESPN keeps every playoff game or shares some with other networks.
The reason Sankey’s words matter is because the Big Ten and SEC hold the deciding power over the playoff’s shape, and each takes about 29% of CFP revenue. The ACC gets about 17%, the Big 12 about 15%, and the Group of Six and Notre Dame split the rest.
The Big Ten, led by commissioner Tony Petitti, has pushed for 24 teams. The SEC started out wanting something smaller, and Sankey talked about 12 or 16. He now sounds like a man who has changed his opinion.
“Attitudes change over time and perspectives change, and so we’ll see where that leads us from a final decision standpoint,” Sankey said.
It is a big jump from where the playoff started. The CFP opened with four teams after the 2014 season, and Ohio State won the first title. It grew to 12 teams for the 2024 season, and a 24-team field would add 12 more spots.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has backed the idea, saying five Big 12 teams would have made the last playoff under it. The Big Ten has already signaled it is open to meeting him on the first one, which leaves the money question still open.
“If the format expands in ’27 and beyond, you’ll see a really firm commitment from the Big Ten to really engage it at that level of regular-season nonconference scheduling that a lot of fan bases were used to for a lot of years,” said Big Ten COO Kerry Kenny to The Athletic.
Now, ESPN’s current deal is worth about $1.3 billion a year, roughly $7.8 billion over six years through the 2031-32 season, and it covers up to 14 teams without extra fees. Going to 24 would add 12 games to the current 11, and reports say the extra cost could top $300 million a year.
What happens to the conference championship games?
The calendar is where this gets messy. A 24-team playoff needs more dates in an already crowded December, so dropping the conference title games is one option on the table. However, that would cost real money, because the SEC could lose up to $100 million if it loses a game, which is why the CFP has discussed extra annual revenue to make up for it.
CBS Sports analyst John Talty is convinced it will happen. “They’re gonna be gone. That’s the reality of the situation,” he said.
Here’s one idea that’s been floated. Of the 24 teams, 23 would get in as at-large picks, and one spot would be saved for a Group of Six team. Conference champions wouldn’t get automatic bids. The first two rounds would be played on campus, and the New Year’s Six bowls would host the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The Army-Navy game might also move up a week, from the second Saturday in December to the first.
But none of this is final and all still just proposals. Nobody has said how many teams would get a first-round bye, or how many spots would go to automatic qualifiers and how many to at-large teams.
The money part isn’t settled either, with no information on how the new TV money would be split, or whether ESPN would keep all the games.
How those questions get answered will decide who comes out ahead and who gives something up. All in all, if the Big Ten and SEC can work those out, a 24-team playoff could be ready for 2027.