CFB insiders report bid structure for new 24-team College Football Playoff
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College football insiders Pete Nakos, Brett McMurphy and Chris Low, who cover the sport for On3, reported specifics of how bids would be structured under a new, expanded 24-team College Football Playoff field.
With ESPN insider Pete Thamel reporting earlier Thursday that a deal for an expanded field from 12 to 24 for the 2027 season was imminent, questions abound about how it all would look if and when the expansion is officially agreed to.
The trio of On3 insiders provided some light on that exact subject, reporting that there would be 19 at-large bids among the 24 teams, that there would be automatic bids for the “top Power Four, Group of 6 champions,” and that there would be more Playoff games held on campus under the new potential 24-team format.
According to the On3 report, Playoff leaders “are expected to meet later Thursday for an update on expansion negotiations.”
The On3 report included that the opening 2 rounds of a 24-team field would be played on campus sites, with the quarterfinals, semifinals and national championship game being played on neutral sites. Byes would go to the 8 highest-ranked seeds, according to On3.
The aforementioned automatic bids would go to the Power 4 conference champions and the top Group of 6 conference champion, which would hand automatic bids to those 5 programs to go with the 19 at-large bids that On3 reported.
Those 8 teams that receive a first-round bye would host a home game in the second round under the expanded 24-team format, according to On3.
While the specifics for a potential 24-team CFP are being ironed out, this season’s Playoff remains 12 teams and the chase is on for those dozen coveted spots. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about which teams have the best odds to grab those 12 spots when the dust settles in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
