The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams beginning with the 2027 season. The makeup of the playoff will include 19 at-large teams, the four champions of the power conferences and the highest ranked Group 6 team.

"My only concern about the 24-team College Football Playoff is the amount of games these guys are playing..

I get a little concerned about how much is too much when it comes to how many games a college player plays..

I think 16 would be a good compromise for the College… pic.twitter.com/PQSCks4bl3

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 16, 2026

The framework of the College Football playoff deal has been agreed to. However, final details are expected to be announced shortly when the deal gets board approval across all parties. One of the aspects of the new championship format will be the elimination of the popular and lucrative conference championship games.

The national championship game will be played in January. The New Year's Six bowls — including the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar, Peach, Orange and Cotton — will host the quarterfinals and the semifinals of the CFP.

The top 8 seeds will get byes into the second round and then will host the first-round games. The new format will double the number of teams from the current 12 in the current format.

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College football analyst Nick Saban retired from coaching after the conclusion of the 2023 season. He is considered perhaps the greatest college football coach in the history of the sport. He led his Alabama teams to 7 national championships during his head coaching career.

Saban spoke about the new format as a guest on the Pat McAfee Show. “My only concern about the 24-team College Football Playoff is the amount of games these guys are playing,” Saban said. “I get a little concerned about how much is too much when it comes to how many games a college player plays. I think 16 would be a good compromise for the College Football Playoff.”