College Football Playoff Format Slightly Changes In 2026 As Expansion Remains Possible

On Monday, members of the College Football Playoff management committee met and briefly discussed potentially expanding the field, according to multiple reports. Although nothing is imminent, the current 12-team format could change as soon as next year as conference commissioners and media executives consider providing more access to teams and generating additional revenue.

For 2026, the field remains the same size for the third consecutive year, but the CFP has made small changes. The champions from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference are guaranteed spots, as is the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West, Pac-12 and Sun Belt. That is slightly different than last year when the five highest-ranked conference champions automatically qualified.

Duke won the ACC last season, but it was not one of the five highest-ranked league champions, so the Blue Devils were left out of the field. If this season’s rules were in effect, Duke would have automatically qualified because the ACC champion is guaranteed a spot.

Notre Dame is another team that would have benefited a year ago if this year’s rules were in effect. The Fighting Irish were No. 11 in the final CFP rankings, but they missed the field. No. 20 Tulane and No. 24 James Madison received the final two berths because they were among the five highest-ranked conference champions.

The CFP selection committee received criticism in some quarters for leaving Notre Dame out and giving Miami the final at-large berth last season even though the Fighting Irish were ranked ahead of the Hurricanes in each of the previous CFP rankings. But this year, that debate would be moot because Notre Dame is now guaranteed a spot in the CFP if it finishes in the top 12 of the final rankings. That clause was agreed upon well before Notre Dame didn’t make the field and decided to skip a bowl game.

If this year’s rules were in place in 2025, Notre Dame and Tulane would be the last teams in the field, while Miami and James Madison wouldn’t have been chosen. That would have been hotly debated, too, because Miami defeated Notre Dame in the season opener for both teams. Instead, Miami squeaked into the field and advanced to the title game, where it lost to Indiana.

While the 12-team format remains in place, Yahoo Sports reporter Ross Dellenger wrote on X on Sunday that there is “growing momentum toward a larger field,” likely consisting of 16 or 24 teams. Dellenger also reported that ESPN is “socializing” a 16-team format where the final four spots would be determined via four play-in games, meaning 20 teams would be in the mix for inclusion in the field. However, ESPN’s Pete Thamel wrote on X on Monday that such a proposal “faces a lot of headwinds,” while CBS Sports reporter Brandon Marcello wrote that CFP executives discussed potential expansion on Monday “but did not go into great detail with TV windows (and) media payouts,” nor did they discuss the 16-team format with four play-in games.

The CFP management committee consists of 10 conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua. Although the committee manages day-to-day operations of the CFP, its decisions are subject to review by the CFP board of managers, which consists of 11 University presidents and chancellors.

When the CFP launched in 2014, only four teams were in the field. It remained that way until the 2024 season when the CFP leaders expanded it to 12 teams, a move that increased interest in the sport but did not mitigate chatter about the ideal field size.

As of now, there is no consensus on the best format. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has pushed for a 24-team field, while SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has favored 16 teams but is open-minded about what would work best for the leagues, teams, players, media companies and fans.

“We really need to decide and move on,” Sankey told ESPN last month. “The constant chatter, I don’t know if you’ll ever fully put it to bed, but it just orbits us. We had gone to 12, and 12 was celebrated and all these great things and then these numbers get introduced probably a year and a half ago. All it does is confuse people.”