College Football Playoff expansion will not happen until at least 2026, according to a statement from the organization’s leadership.

The Playoff will stay at 4 teams through the duration of its current contract.

The CFP management committee, comprised of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director, met by video conference earlier this week, Executive Director Bill Hancock said Friday in a statement.

The group could not break an impasse, and so the commissioners decided to abandon efforts to implement a new 12-team format for the 2024 season and recommended staying with the current model to the presidents who oversee the playoff.

At issue is the path to expand, and how to do it. The 10 conference commissioners that make up the management committee, along with Notre Dame’s athletic director, each support expanding the playoff from 4 teams. How to do it and when is more complicated and has not been agreed to over several meetings.

Unanimous consensus among the management committee members is needed to alter to the current deal.

A proposal for a 12-team playoff has been on the table since June. There was hope initially an agreement could be reached soon enough to have it implemented for the 2024 season, 2 years before the current CFP contract with ESPN expires.

The Board of Managers accepted the recommendation and directed the commissioners to continue discussions on a new format to go into effect for the 2026 season.

“Even though the outcome did not lead to a recommendation for an early expansion before the end of the current 12-year contract, the discussions have been helpful and informative,” Hancock said. “I am sure they will serve as a useful guide for the Board of Managers and for the Management Committee as we determine what the playoff will look like beginning in the 2026-2027 season.”

H/T Associated Press.