College Football Playoff seems to be on its way to a 24-team format

TL;DR

The American Football Coaches Association supports a shift to a 24-team College Football Playoff format, potentially eliminating conference title games. This model would allow for more playoff games and increased revenue, though it raises scheduling concerns with the Army-Navy game.

Key points

AFCA supports a 24-team College Football Playoff format
Proposed changes may eliminate conference championship games
New format could conflict with the Army-Navy game schedule
Expansion would add ten games to the playoff
Increased playoff games would generate more revenue

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 8: A generic view of the College Football Playoff logo before the CFP Semifinal Vrbo Fiesta Bowl between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Miami Hurricanes at State Farm Stadium on January 8, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images) | Getty Images It’s always been coming, and it may not be too far away. The AFCA is expected to throw its weight behind a move to a 24-team playoff — a move that would eliminate conference title games. The news comes from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.

“The American Football Coaches Association voted last week to recommend that college leaders implement a playoff with “the maximum number of participants,” discontinue conference championship games, preserve the Army-Navy game’s exclusive time window but hold other games on that day, and end the playoff by the second week of January.” — Ross Dellenger, Yahoo Sports The AFCA board includes names like Brent Venebles, Bret Bielema, Rhett Lashlee, Clark Lea, Joey McGuire and Pat Fitzgerald. Various leaders in the college football world have shifted their support behind a 24-team model over the last couple of months. Changing the current 12-team model has been discussed almost immediately since the 12-team model was announced. A 16-team model has also been on the table as an option. The new reported 24-team model would feature first round games on campuses with the at-large field seeded 9-24 — No. 24 at No. 9, No. 23 at No. 10, etc. The top eight would obviously receive a bye. One significant issue with moving the CFP up a week is the Army-Navy game, which has traditionally been played on the second Saturday of December. The new format would have playoff games starting on this day, meaning the two teams would be unable to participate, even if ranked highly enough. CBS holds the rights to that game, which puts up big numbers as the only game in town during that time. Moving that game seems tricky, but Dellenger reports that it’s being explored. The 24-team model would add ten games to the CFP, which would obviously generate more money. That’s what this is all about anyways. It seems inevitable at this point, it’s just a matter of when. Would it be good for Tennessee? Yeah, probably so. Do we need 24 teams in the playoff field? Absolutely not.

Q&A

What changes are proposed for the College Football Playoff format?

The proposed changes include expanding the playoff to 24 teams and eliminating conference championship games.

How would the 24-team College Football Playoff affect the Army-Navy game?

The new playoff schedule could conflict with the Army-Navy game, traditionally held on the second Saturday of December, as playoff games would start on that day.

What are the financial implications of expanding to a 24-team playoff?

Expanding to a 24-team playoff is expected to add ten games, generating significantly more revenue for college football.