Heather Dinich says there’s ‘more momentum than ever’ for 16-team Playoff
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Thanos said, “I am inevitable,” right before perishing in Avengers: Endgame. Some people will argue that college football’s eventual downfall is inevitable with the way the sport has come to operate in recent years.
What’s truly inevitable, now that No. 10 Miami has reached the College Football Playoff National Championship, though, is further CFP expansion. And, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, it could come as soon as next season.
On Friday morning’s episode of Get Up, Dinich was asked about expansion. She revealed that a 16-team CFP is gaining steam and could be implemented for 2026, if 2 of college football’s biggest voices sign off on it.
“My sense, in talking to sources, is that there’s more momentum than ever to go to a 16-team field, possibly as soon as 2026, if SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti can agree to it,” Dinich said. “Right now, that stalemate still exists. Those 2 men have the bulk of control over the format.”
Dinich stated that the deadline to expand the CFP to 16 teams for 2026 is “the end of the month.”
While conversation continues to occur behind the scenes, fans have 2 remaining CFP contests to watch this year. The first, between Oregon and Indiana, is Friday evening (7:30 p.m. E.T., ESPN).
