College Football Playoff issues statement amid report that it is nearing deal to expand to 24 teams
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
The College Football Playoff is close to a deal that will see it expand from 12 to 24 teams beginning in 2027, Pete Thamel reported on Thursday.
It was always a matter of when, not if, expansion would happen. Apparently, “when” will be “next season,” according to Thamel’s report. But nothing is finalized yet.
The CFP issued a statement on Thursday night addressing the report.
“Constructive discussions with ESPN continued this week,” it read. “We have enjoyed a strong partnership with ESPN since our inception and are appreciative of the productive dialogue we have had throughout the negotiating period and continuing over the last several days. We will provide additional updates on the matters of future format and media rights when appropriate.”
Given that ESPN is the exclusive rights holder of the CFP through 2031-32— it has licensed games to TNT Sports over the last few years and will do so again in 2026, including a semifinal — the Worldwide Leader in Sports will have a seat at the table during any expansion talk. More Playoff games means more money in its pocket, of course.
Plenty of opinions have surfaced about what a 24-team field will mean for college football. Regardless of which side of the aisle fans are on, though, this looks like it is happening.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
