College Football Playoffs… 24 teams?

The Big Ten Conference is floating a 24-team CFP model for 2027 and beyond.

ESPN acquired an internal B1G document this week that calls for the expansion of the College Football Playoffs from the current 12-school model to 24 schools. A number of potential issues with this proposal are already surfacing.

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES...

According to the document, all conference championship games would be eliminated. This would hurt such conferences as the Big-12 and ACC who are fighting to close the revenue gap with the Big Ten and SEC. They are using championship game revenue to award the conference’s winningest brands, thus discouraging them for leaving for the greener pastures of the SEC and Big Ten. How the CFP handles the loss of conference championship revenue looms as a potential deal breaker for this 24-school model.

CFP BERTH ALLOTMENT...

The document also projects a playoff with the 23 best teams and one spot for the Group of 6, with no automatic qualifiers. However, it would be weighted heavily toward the SEC and Big Ten. If this model had been used in 2025, the SEC would have received seven berths, the B1G with six berths, the Big-12 with five berths the ACC with four berths, Group of 6 with one berth and Notre Dame.

WHAT IF...?

What IF this 24-school model goes into affect for the 2027 season? What might the consequence be for college football?

In part two, we will examine the POTENTIAL RISKS & REWARDS of the 24-school model?

GO CANES!