TIGER RAG NEWS SERVICES
ESPN and the College Football Playoff Committee have officially agreed to expand to a 24-team playoff starting in the 2027-2028 season. ESPN reports that the agreement to become the exclusive rightsholder for the playoffs is worth nearly $1.7 billion and runs through the 2031-2032 season.
“The decision to expand was driven by a desire to increase opportunities for FBS programs, student-athletes and fan bases to participate in the Playoff and have a chance to play for the CFP National Championship, while new scheduling standards incentivize institutions to schedule more compelling non-conference matchups during the regular season. The expanded format will feature 16 on-campus Playoff games, which will bring Playoff football to more students and local fans while providing a positive impact for campus communities,” the CFP said in a statement.
The new playoff format will feature a 24-team single elimination tournament with the top eight seeds receiving a first-round bye. Power Four conference champions will each receive automatic bids, as will the highest-ranked Group of Six team. The other 19 spots will be at-large bids awarded by the CFP Selection Committee. There will no longer be a guarantee for Notre Dame if it’s not ranked high enough to earn one of the at-large bids.
The first two rounds of the playoffs will be played on the home campuses of the higher seeded teams while the quarterfinals and the New Year’s Six bowls (Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton) will still host the quarterfinals and semifinals, with the national championship game remaining in January. The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans will host the first 24-team playoff national championship game on Jan. 24 2028.
“We will make the 24-team Playoff spectacular for the fans, student-athletes, their institutions and all our stakeholders. That is our commitment. Our organization delivers a world-class championship experience at our games and our events, and this promise will continue under the new format. 23 games of Playoff football, featuring 24 ranked teams going head-to-head for the right to be crowned the true national champion.”
“We are also thrilled to continue our broadcast partnership with ESPN, which has been a terrific partner of the CFP since its inception. Like the CFP, ESPN celebrates everything that makes the sport of college football so great. The promotion, storytelling and innovation ESPN brings to the CFP, college football fans and the sport in general, is second to none. We know that level of excellence will continue as we embark on this journey to a 24-team format. We’d like to thank our media advisors at CAA for their work and support getting this agreement completed. This would not have been possible without their guidance and expertise,” CFP Executive Director Rich Clark said in a statement.
Playoff games will kick off on the second Saturday of December, following an open week after the end of the regular season.
Coinciding with the expansion, the Southeastern Conference announced today that the 2026 SEC Football Championship Game will be the final edition of the event. The other power conferences will also end their championship games.
The 2026 SEC Football Championship Game, to be played on December 5 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will be the 35th edition of the game that began in 1992.
“The SEC Football Championship Game has been a defining event in college football for more than three decades, producing unforgettable moments and crowning legendary champions,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “What began with the vision and leadership of Commissioner Roy Kramer in 1992 helped reshape the landscape of college football and established a tradition that has endured for 35 years. As the sport evolves with an expanded College Football Playoff, we look forward to celebrating the remarkable legacy of this event with its 35th and final edition and recognizing the city of Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and AMB Sports and Entertainment, and the many partners who have contributed to its success”
The SEC Championship Game debuted on December 5, 1992, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, as Alabama defeated Florida, 28-21. After a second edition at Legion Field in 1993, the game moved to Atlanta in 1994 and became a fixture at the Georgia Dome. The Georgia Dome hosted 23 consecutive SEC Championship Games from 1994 through 2016 before the event transitioned to its current home at Mercedes-Benz Stadium beginning in 2017. The game’s history spans three iconic venues and two host cities, each contributing to its enduring legacy.
Over the 34 previous editions, the game has featured some of the most compelling matchups in conference history, drawing capacity crowds and helping launch 14 SEC teams to a national championship. With the shift to a 24-team playoff structure, the 2026 contest will mark the end of an era for the event that helped pioneer the modern conference championship format.
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