CFP to remain a 12-team field for next season

The College Football Playoff will remain a 12-team field in 2026, the CFP's management committee announced on Friday.

The decision gives the CFP and conference commissioners additional time to consider the playoff's expansion to possible a 16- or 24-team format in the future, a move all sides of the discussion could not agree on at this time, with the biggest contention existing between the Big Ten and SEC on the immediate direction of the playoff.

"After ongoing discussion about the 12-team playoff format, the decision was made to continue with the current structure," said CFP executive director Rich Clark in a statement Friday. "This will give the Management Committee additional time to review the 12-team format, so they can better assess the need for potential change. While they all agree the current format has brought more excitement to college football and has given more schools a real shot in the postseason, another year of evaluation will be helpful."

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has publicly supported a 16-team model, but Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti would agree to that only if Sankey committed to a 24-team field after three years, sources told ESPN. Multiple sources have said that's not something Sankey was ready to do at this time. Although there has been significant support for a 16-team field, staying at 12 was an expected result because of the stalemate that has existed for months between the Big Ten and SEC.

There hasn't been any pushback from CFP leaders about remaining at 12 for at least another season, sources told ESPN, as it will be only the third year of the fledgling system. The Big Ten also is interested in seeing how the selection committee will evaluate teams this fall after the ACC and SEC move to nine-game league schedules beginning next season. There's an expectation that there will be more two- and three-loss teams for the group to consider.

In March 2024, the CFP and ESPN agreed to a six-year, $7.8 billion contract that ensures the network will remain the sole media rights holder of the event through the 2031-32 season. During those contract negotiations, the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua signed a memorandum of understanding that gave the Big Ten and SEC the bulk of control over the playoff's future format.

The contract was built for a 12- or 14-team field, but momentum for a 16-team playoff had increased in recent months. As the sole rights holder, ESPN imposed a deadline of Dec. 1, 2025, for the CFP to determine its format, but sources said the SEC asked for an extension, which was granted until Jan. 23.

Clark said there will be a Dec. 1 deadline every year to inform ESPN of any format changes.

Although the number of teams in the field will remain the same this fall, there will be some adjustments to how some are included next season. The Power 4 conference champions will be guaranteed spots in the 12-team field, along with the highest-ranked conference champion from the Group of 6, which now includes the new-look Pac-12. Notre Dame will also be a lock for the playoff if it finishes in the selection committee's top 12.

Had those rules existed this season, both ACC champion Duke and Notre Dame would have qualified for the playoff -- and No. 10 seed Miami, which played for the national title, would have been excluded.

Next season's CFP will again feature first-round games played on campus sites, followed by quarterfinals and semifinals hosted by the CFP bowls. The championship game, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be played Monday, January 25, 2027, the latest a national champion will be crowned in FBS history.