INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The College Football Playoff is doubling in size next season, expanding to 24 teams. The move will eliminate conference championship games and change the college football calendar.
ESPN announced Monday that it has reached an agreement to remain the exclusive worldwide broadcaster of the playoff through the 2031 season.
The new format will debut during the 2027 season, with the national championship game scheduled for Jan. 24, 2028.
Of the 24 playoff spots, 19 will go to at-large selections. The remaining five will be awarded to the four Power 4 conference champions and the highest-ranked team from the Group of 6 conferences.
The top eight teams will receive first-round byes, while the first two rounds will be played at the home stadiums of the higher-seeded teams.
One of the biggest changes will come before the postseason even begins.
Conference championship games will be eliminated, with the regular season running from the week before Labor Day through Thanksgiving weekend.
The annual Army-Navy game will take over the weekend previously reserved for conference championships, giving the rivalry its own television window. Teams selected for the playoff will have that weekend off before postseason play begins.
ESPN and the College Football Playoff began negotiating the value of the expanded tournament Sept. 9. The exclusive 30-day negotiating window ended Oct. 9, and ESPN ultimately retained the rights to broadcast the event.
With 24 teams now set to compete for a national championship, the new format will give more programs a path into the postseason while bringing an end to conference title games that have long been part of college football's December schedule.
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