The same CFP expansion discussion happened again in Dallas this spring involving conference commissioners, Notre Dame’s AD, and those who decide the fate of the playoffs. Only this time, there’s a new player involved as the conversation is spilling into Washington. As one committee member said, the government is getting involved in the playoff instead of just helping out with NIL. 

As Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported, a 14-person presidential “media” committee, backed by the White House, is now actively discussing the future of the CFP. And they’re thinking of a 24-team format.

“I think it’s accurate to say that there is a coalescing around 24,” one stakeholder tied to both the CFP committee and the presidential group said. 

What makes it even more fascinating is the crossover. The same commissioners shaping the CFP, Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12, the American, plus Notre Dame, are sitting in both rooms. Now, what used to feel like a long-term maybe is sounding like an inevitability. But how do you build a 24-team playoff without breaking the sport?

The 24-team CFP model could change everything. Those teams will mostly be selected via rankings with the top eight getting first-round byes. Early rounds will be played on campus, which is a real home-field advantage in December. Under this format, bowl games shift into quarterfinals and semifinals as the total playoff games jump from 11 to 23. 

The biggest sacrifice that comes with the 24-team playoff is that the conference championship games, with a $150-200 million value, will be wiped off from the calendar. That’s a serious decision because no one would eliminate conference competition unless the upside is huge. So what’s the upside here? The vision is that there will be hundreds of millions in new revenue. But not everyone is in favor of 24.

One absence last week spoke volumes. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey wasn’t on that presidential committee call and neither were key media executives. The absence could mean hesitation because it’s already clear where their favor lies. While the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and Notre Dame are aligned to 24, the SEC isn’t there yet. The conference has supported a 16-team model because they want a way to expand without blowing up the regular season. But now thoughts are changing. Inside the SEC itself, coaches, ADs, and even some administrators are warming to 24-team format.

Follow the money and the frustration

Last year, the SEC moved to a nine-game conference schedule. It was heavier with more risk. The assumption was that expansion would follow but it didn’t. And that didn’t sit well.

“The expectation of every athletic director in the SEC was that at some level, the nine-game schedule was going to be combined with at least a 16-team CFP field,” Auburn AD John Cohen said.

Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce went even further saying he wouldn’t have approved the schedule change if he knew expansion wasn’t coming. That frustration, layered in rising costs, NIL pressure, and fan expectations boil down to one thing – expand or the season feels like a failure. So now, 24 teams sound practical.

“I think 24 teams is good for the fan bases,” Kirby Smart said this spring. “I think when coaches and ADs look at it, we’re looking at our fan bases having an expectation that they want to be in the playoffs. It’s playoffs or bust.”

Supporters argue a 24-team field would fix one of college football’s oldest complaints which is the early-season snooze. More playoff inclusion means teams would be bolder to schedule bigger non-conference games. 

“I think 24 solves an enormous amount of problems,” Fox CEO Eric Shanks said. “It’s actually hard to find great games” early in the season.

But ESPN, the current CFP rights holder, isn’t nearly as enthusiastic because expanding the playoff doesn’t just mean more teams. It means renegotiating power, money, and control across networks, conferences, and now potentially, the government. While no vote is expected this week, one thing is clear. The shift is already happening.