Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman isn't completely sold on expanding the College Football Playoff, but he understands why a larger field could benefit the Fighting Irish.

The College Football Playoff officially approved a 24-team format on Monday, with the expansion set to begin in the 2027 season. While the decision creates more opportunities for programs across the country, Freeman has made it clear that he sees the biggest benefit from Notre Dame's perspective.

Adam Rittenberg shared Freeman's comments on X, in which the Fighting Irish coach expressed some hesitation about making the playoff too large.

“I don't want this to be like March Madness, and have 60-something teams … but the more opportunities we have to make the playoffs helps us. … That doesn't mean it's good for everybody else, but for us at Notre Dame, it's a positive.”

It's an interesting position from Freeman, who recognizes that expanding the field could make it easier for Notre Dame to reach the postseason. As an independent program, the Fighting Irish don't have a conference championship to compete for an automatic bid, making their path to the playoff different from most major programs.

A 24-team format gives Notre Dame more room for error and could make it easier to remain in the national championship conversation even if the team suffers a couple of losses during the regular season.

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However, Freeman also understands the potential downside of continuing to expand the playoff. College football's regular season has always carried plenty of weight, and there is a legitimate debate about whether adding more teams could take away from that importance.

For Notre Dame, though, the decision is an obvious positive. Freeman isn't hiding his bias, and there's nothing wrong with acknowledging that a bigger playoff gives his program a better opportunity to compete for a national championship.