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College football sells another piece of its soul with CFP officially expanding to 24 teams
The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams in 2027 under a new five-year agreement between the playoff organisers and ESPN. The change is intended to make room for more postseason games, but it will also end championship games in several major conferences, prompting concern that a longstanding part of college football is being sacrificed for money.
The deal is worth nearly $1.7 billion, and ESPN will cover costs linked to dropping title games for the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC. The SEC says its 2026 championship game, scheduled for 5 December in Atlanta, will be its last; Group of Six conferences are still deciding what to do. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban has criticised the expansion, arguing that 24 teams cannot realistically win the national title and that conference championships matter to players and fans.
In short
- The playoff grows to 24 teams in 2027.
- ESPN’s five-year deal is worth nearly $1.7 billion.
- Several major conferences are set to end their title games.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Expanding to 24 teams could give more programmes a meaningful route into the playoff, reward strong seasons that might otherwise be overlooked and create more high-stakes games for supporters. If ESPN’s payment helps offset the loss of conference title games, organisers may see the agreement as a way to broaden access while keeping the postseason financially viable.
The case against
A 24-team field may make qualification feel less exclusive and, as Nick Saban argues, leave many entrants with little realistic chance of winning the title. Conference championships are also valued as consequential traditions that bring players and fans together; ending them in major leagues could weaken those rivalries and make the sport’s decisions seem driven more by revenue than by competition.
Explained simply
College football is played by universities, which compete in conferences such as the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12. Each conference has its own season and, traditionally, many have ended it with a championship game between their top teams.
The College Football Playoff is the postseason competition that decides the national champion. Its organisers and broadcasters shape how teams qualify and how much the games are worth; ESPN holds the new broadcast agreement. Conference title games have also been a major event for players and supporters, while playoff organisers have sought to include more teams and add games.
The debate is about how to balance those traditions with a larger playoff and its commercial value. Nick Saban, a former Alabama coach, has argued that a 24-team field would make the national title less attainable and reduce the importance of conference championships.