Latest CFB Rumors Detail Possible 16-Team CFP Bracket Format Change for 2026 Season

The commissioners for the Big Ten and SEC are in favor of expanding the College Football Playoff to 16 teams under certain considerations, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich.

Dinich reported Sunday that there is "strong support" for expanding and that an agreement between Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey hinges on them finding "a specific compromise":

"Sankey's support of a 16-team field is extremely significant because of the weight he carries in the room, but it won't happen if Petitti isn't on board. Sources say the Big Ten wants to use this as leverage to eventually lock in a field with at least 24 teams, with or without automatic qualifiers. In exchange for support of a 16-team tournament now, sources said the Big Ten is looking for a commitment to move to 24 teams after two or three seasons. Though some in the room might be willing to consider a 24-team field halfway through the new six-year deal, there is a strong reluctance to commit to it now -- and that could keep the stalemate ongoing. A 24-team playoff without automatic qualifiers, though, might be appealing enough for Sankey to consider."

The blowouts involving James Madison and Tulane have led some fans and influential voices to question whether at least one Group of Five school should continue to receive a pathway into the College Football Playoff.

Still, Dinich reported that "excluding the Group of 5 is a highly unlikely scenario" as officials weigh different CFP formats.

The other obvious considerations are at play.

Making the Playoff a 16-team or even a 24-team affair lessens the importance of the regular season even further.

Iowa went 8-4 this year and would've qualified for a 24-team tournament thanks to sitting 23rd in the CFP selection committee's final rankings. When a team can lose four games and still contend for a national championship, the stakes simply aren't the same in the regular season.

Expanding the Playoff might create more one-sided games as well.

The transfer portal and NIL have leveled the playing field a bit, but the gulf between good teams and really good teams remains wide. For all of the focus on James Madison and Tulane, Texas Tech got shut out by Oregon, which preceded to lose to Indiana by 34 points. That was almost equal to the margin of victory in the Hoosiers' 38-3 victory over Alabama in the Rose Bowl.

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Recent history tells us that CFP expansion is inevitable. Staying at 12 teams leaves potential revenue on the table, and the current structure has invited plenty of criticism.

However, pursuing that option might create different problems for the sport's power brokers to solve.