The story so far
- ESPN and CFP Enter Final Review of 24-Team Playoff Expansion2 sources
- Report: CFP Expands to 24 Teams in $1.7B ESPN DealYou are hereLatest
Updated 1h ago · Sports
Report: CFP Expands to 24 Teams in $1.7B ESPN Deal
The College Football Playoff will double to 24 teams next season after ESPN agreed to rework its contract. The CFP board's decision was unanimous.
- $1.7 billion over five years is the reported value of the deal.
- $345 million a year will be added to ESPN's existing contract.
- 5 automatic bids go to Power Four champions and the top Group of Six team.
- 8 top seeds get first-round byes; early rounds are played on campuses.
Why it matters: The expansion ends Power Four conference title games, a fixture for more than three decades. ESPN is paying to replace them.
- Notre Dame loses the top-12 guarantee it holds under the current format.
- Big conferences expect most added spots to go to their members.
How 31 sources split on this story
Source landscape
Factuality
High
Mixed
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Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right
Political Bias
Coverage by lean
31 sources · 46 articles · 55% Center coverage
Where they split: Coverage divides over whether more playoff access justifies losing conference championship games and their traditions.
Center coverage, 17 sources: The center treats it as a business and format change, focused on deal terms, schedule and bracket structure.
WPXI Pittsburgh7hCollege Football Playoff, ESPN reach exclusive deal, will expand to 24 teamsUSA Today8hESPN, CFP agree to expanded playoff, but at what cost? Details of mega dealNewsweek3hCFP Executive Director Addresses Fan Resentment to 24-Team ExpansionESPN5hCFP 24-team format - What to know about the new playoff - ESPNHeavy2hJosh Pate Blasts College Football Playoff’s 24-Team ExpansionPennLive7hWhat ESPN’s $1.7B CFP expansion deal means to college footballThe National Desk7hBREAKING: College Football Playoff format will expand to 24 teams in 2027abc27 (WHTM)7hBig Ten Championship Game eliminated in College Football Playoff expansionAssociated Press7hCollege Football Playoff doubles up, expands to 24 teams beginning next seasonChicago Tribune7hCollege Football Playoff is doubling to 24 teams next season, ending conference title gamesDeadline2hESPN Extends College Football Playoff Rights Through 2032 As 24-Team Format Set For Next SeasonForbes7hESPN Lands Exclusive Rights To New Games In Expanded 24-Team College Football PlayoffKXAN Austin4hShift to 24-team College Football Playoff signals end of conference championshipsWFLA News Channel 86hCollege Football Playoff doubles up, expands to 24 teams beginning next seasonWGAL 87hCollege Football Playoff doubles up, expands to 24 teams beginning next seasonWSAV Savannah7hCollege Football Playoff doubles up, expands to 24 teams beginning next seasonWSB-TV Atlanta7hCollege Football Playoff, ESPN reach exclusive deal, will expand to 24 teams
Left coverage, 7 sources: The left sees a revenue-driven bet by the big conferences to keep second-tier programs spending on costly rosters.
The Independent7hCollege Football Playoff doubles up, expands to 24 teams beginning next seasonCleveland.com7hWhat ESPN’s $1.7B CFP expansion deal means to college footballCNN7hThe College Football Playoff is expanding to 24 teams. Football Saturdays will never be the sameHouston Chronicle4hHow the new 24-team College Football Playoff will workNBC News7hCollege Football Playoff is expanding to 24 teams in 2027The Atlanta Journal-Constitution7hSEC championship game to be eliminated as CFP to expand to 24 teams in 2027The Boston Globe6hCollege Football Playoff expands to 24 teams beginning next season
Right coverage, 7 sources: The right ranges from straight reporting to arguing the sport traded tradition for television money.
Fox News7hCollege football sells another piece of its soul with CFP officially expanding to 24 teamsBreitbart News4hCFP Blasted for Playoff Expansion: 'No One Cares About the Fans!'OutKick5hGovernor Ron DeSantis and fans blast "short-sighted" decision to expand CFP to 24 teamsDaily Mail2hAmerica's most patriotic sporting event forced to move... despite Trump vowing to protect itNew York Post4hCFP expanding to 24 teams, big conference title games eliminated in $1.7 billion ESPN dealThe Daily Caller4hCollege Football Playoff Expanded To 24 Teams: REPORTThe Daily Wire1dThe 24-Team Playoff Is Official: What We Know, What We Don’t, And What’s Next
What’s next: The SEC said its Dec. 5, 2026 championship game in Atlanta will be its last. Group of Six conferences have not decided on their title games.
- The New Year's Six bowls will host quarterfinals and semifinals.
- The national championship game is set for Jan. 24, 2028.
- The CFP has not disclosed the deal's financial terms itself.
- Will the playoff expand again beyond 24 teams in a later contract?
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