CFP Will Keep 12-Team Bracket Format for 2026-27 Season amid Expansion Rumors

With Friday marking the deadline for the College Football Playoff to decide on next season's format, it was announced the bracket will remain at 12 teams for the 2026-27 postseason.

"The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee, comprised of the 10 FBS conference commissioners and the Director of Athletics at the University of Notre Dame, announced today it will continue the 12-team playoff format for the 2026-27 season," the CFP said in a statement. "The decision provides additional time for evaluation and discussion on the current format and potential changes in the future.

"Under the terms of the management committee's 2024 operating agreement, the 2026-27 season's format will feature 12 teams based on conference champions and final ranking by the CFP Selection Committee. First-round games will be played on campus sites, followed by quarterfinals and semifinals hosted by the CFP bowls, and the national championship game, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 25, 2027."

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported that the Big Ten and SEC, who maintain a significant level of power over the playoff, are stuck at an impasse over what expansion would look like:

College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark announced in November that all parties agreed to extend the deadline from Dec. 1 to Jan. 23 to determine the format for 2026 and beyond.

When the College Football Playoff and ESPN agreed to a six-year, $7.8 billion media rights deal in March 2024, part of the deal included a revenue distribution plan that will favor the Big Ten and SEC over the other conferences and Notre Dame.

The six-year deal officially begins with the 2026 season and was built to factor in an increase in games for a potential expansion to 14 teams, but more recently the 16-team format seemed to pick up a lot of steam.

Per ESPN's Heather Dinich, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti would only agree to the 16-team playoff if the SEC committed to a 24-team field after three years.

Even though the 12-team format will remain in place for next season, Dellenger reported that future expansion remains a possibility and all parties will continue to negotiate a potential deal.

The College Football Playoff began during the 2014-15 season with a four-team format that remained in place for 10 years. It expanded to 12 teams during the 2024-25 campaign.

This season saw Notre Dame and the ACC champion (Duke) get left out of the field. The Blue Devils missed out by being the sixth-highest ranked conference champion, behind AAC champion Tulane and Sun Belt champion James Madison.

Notre Dame's exclusion was far more controversial because it was ranked ahead of Miami in each of the first five playoff rankings, even though the Hurricanes had a head-to-head win in the season opener for both teams on Aug. 30.

The Hurricanes passed the Fighting Irish in the final rankings to make the playoff as the final at-large selection and made a run all the way to the championship game, losing to Indiana.

This marks the second consecutive season that a Big Ten team has won the national championship. Ohio State won the title in the first year of the 12-team playoff format.