The College Football Playoff volition expand from 12 to 24 teams opening with the 2027-28 play nether a caller five-year media rights statement with ESPN reportedly worthy astir $1.7 billion. The decision, unanimously approved by the CFP Management Committee connected Monday, Nov. 9, marks different large alteration to assemblage football’s postseason and gives ESPN exclusive worldwide broadcasting rights to the expanded tourney done the 2031-32 season.
The caller 24-team tract will include the champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, on with the highest-ranked champion from the American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-12 oregon Sun Belt conferences. The remaining 19 positions volition spell to the highest-ranked teams selected by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. The 8 highest-ranked teams volition person first-round byes, portion teams seeded ninth done 16th volition big first-round games connected their location campuses.
The expanded tournament volition diagnostic 23 games, with 16 scheduled to instrumentality spot connected assemblage campuses, compared with 4 nether the existent format. The quarterfinals and semifinals volition proceed to rotate among the six existing vessel partners: the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls. ESPN volition televise the full playoff, with the enactment to sublicense prime games, and volition proceed broadcasting related programming, including the play CFP rankings shows and enactment show. ABC volition besides transportation astatine slightest 3 games from each of the archetypal 2 rounds, successful summation to prime quarterfinal, semifinal and first-round matchups.
The agreement is expected to adhd astir $345 cardinal annually to ESPN’s existing media rights commitment. The enlargement is besides expected to bring important changes to the assemblage shot calendar, including the elimination of Power Four league title games, according to media reports. However, the CFP’s authoritative announcement stated that decisions regarding league rubric games stay with the idiosyncratic conferences. The expanded format is intended to supply much teams with an accidental to vie for the nationalist title portion expanding the fig of postseason games hosted by participating schools.
The 2026-27 play will stay nether the existing 12-team format earlier the enlargement takes effect the pursuing year. The archetypal nationalist title nether the 24-team strategy is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2028, successful New Orleans. The pursuing year’s title is acceptable for Tampa Bay connected Jan. 22, 2029.
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