College Football Playoff to expand to 24 teams in 2027, ending Power Four title games

The College Football Playoff will grow from 12 teams to 24 starting after the 2027 regular season, under a new five-year agreement with ESPN that also eliminates championship games in the Power Four conferences, according to WBTV and KSAT.

WBTV reported that the playoff and ESPN signed the agreement on Monday, Nov. 9, and that it is worth close to $1.7 billion, citing sources who spoke with ESPN. KSAT put the value at $1.7 billion.

According to WBTV and an Associated Press story carried by the Baltimore Banner, the bracket will be made up of 19 at-large selections picked by a committee, the four Power Four champions and the top-ranked team among the Group of Six leagues. WBTV said each Power Four conference will settle on its own method for naming a champion.

WBTV also reported that the season will kick off on what is called "Week Zero," the weekend ahead of Labor Day, and wrap up over Thanksgiving weekend. The title game is still scheduled for Jan. 24, 2028.

The Atlantic Coast Conference said its Dec. 5 championship game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte will be the final one, WBTV reported. The city has been the site of 15 of the last 16 ACC title games. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips thanked Charlotte and the event's partners, and said the bigger bracket "presents an exciting new chapter for college football," according to WBTV.

Other dates on the calendar are shifting as well. The AP, in the report published by the Baltimore Banner, said the Army-Navy Game will be played a week earlier beginning next year so it does not compete with playoff games. The 2027 meeting is now set for Dec. 4 in Philadelphia instead of Dec. 11. The AP noted that an executive order issued in March by President Donald Trump prohibits the playoff and other postseason contests from being broadcast opposite Army-Navy.

"As long as the integrity of that game and exclusive rights for that window are good for us, I'm good with it," Navy coach Brian Newberry told reporters, the AP reported.

Bowls that sit outside the playoff could also feel the effects. KSAT reported that San Antonio's Valero Alamo Bowl may have a smaller selection of highly ranked teams once the expanded field is set. Bowl officials told the station they plan to meet with key stakeholders to chart the game's course for the next five years.

Compiled by True News from reporting by KSAT, WBTV, WIS and Baltimore Banner. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/923