A sweeping postseason discussion is stirring tension in college football right now. The idea of allowing far more teams to chase a national title has led to a debate between access and quality. While Paul Finebaum sees bigger opportunities ahead, Stephen A. Smith is already drawing a line on who should even get in.
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The proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff from the current 12-team setup to 24 teams has created a split over who deserves a shot. Finebaum argued that a larger field could make the sport feel more exciting and relevant by pulling in more programs.
That stance ties to the chance for more late-season games to still matter for a wider group of teams. Smith countered that teams failing to finish among the top 15-16 nationally have not earned a place.
“I believe if you can’t finish as one of the top 15-16 teams in the nation you shouldn’t be in the damn playoffs,” Smith said on First Take. “Even in the National Football League, there’s 14 teams that make the playoffs. I understand there are far more collegiate football teams than there are NFL teams, but damn, everybody’s getting top. 24 teams in the playoffs. I think that’s too excessive. I think it should stop at 16 personally.”
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on October 15 that the CFP and ESPN were nearing a deal for the larger field starting in 2027. As of October 16, nothing had been finalized. A December 1 deadline sits on the calendar for any format changes that would affect that season.
Under the reported outline, the field would include a large number of at-large bids plus conference champions and the highest-ranked Group of Six team. The top eight seeds would receive byes, early rounds would be played on campus, and later rounds would involve the New Year’s Six bowls.
Interestingly, Finebaum previously called a 24-team field the worst possibility and warned it could “devalue, dilute, and perhaps destroy” the regular season. He also said there simply are not 24 playoff-caliber teams most years. The latest statement about excitement and relevance shows the possible upside, yet those earlier concerns about every game still counting have not gone away.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has been the leading voice pushing for 24 teams. Reports put the extra media-rights value in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The Big Ten has argued that a 16-team field may not bring in enough new money to cover the loss of conference championship games.
The ACC and Big 12 have been in support of the larger format. On the other hand, the SEC had been more cautious before showing openness in the October talks.
A larger bracket and an earlier postseason calendar could make Power conference championship games hard to schedule. Finebaum has noted that those titles can start to feel less decisive when winning one does not guarantee a deep national run. Georgia’s early playoff exit illustrates how expanded access could change championship game stakes.
Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs took national titles in 2021 and 2022. Then in 2024, they beat Texas 22-19 in overtime on December 7 for the SEC Championship. Then, Notre Dame knocked them out 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl on January 2, 2025. The SEC title that used to feel like a peak suddenly ended with an early exit.
The CFP stayed at four teams from 2014 through 2023 before jumping to 12 in 2024. A move to 24 teams in 2027 would be a big decision, given how the national champion used to be decided.