The College Football Playoff is on the verge of a major transformation, and the momentum is building. Coaches across the country have thrown their support behind playoff expansion following a recent vote by the American Football Coaches Association. If conference commissioners and athletic directors can agree on a new format, the postseason as we know it could look dramatically different—and soon.

Discussions have intensified among decision-makers within the Power Four conferences, with the SEC and Big Ten reportedly locked in a tug-of-war over their preferred formats: 16 teams versus 24 teams. For any changes to take effect for the 2027 season, a final decision must be approved by December 1. "The room is open," said CFP executive director Rich Clark. "Pretty much every commissioner has indicated that. Some lean more toward one format than another, but they want the truth. They want the facts to make a good decision."

So, what would a 24-team playoff actually look like? Let's rewind to last season and imagine the bracket based on the final 2025 CFP Rankings. Under the proposed 24-team model, we'd see an additional round of postseason action and 12 more games overall. The trade-off? Conference championship weekend would likely be eliminated, reshaping the entire end-of-season calendar.

The leading 24-team proposal includes one automatic bid for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, with the remaining 23 spots filled by at-large selections from the committee. Another model—featuring 16 automatic qualifiers from power conferences, six from the Group of Six, and six at-large spots—has been floated, but it's reportedly not the preferred option among coaches and administrators.

Under the preferred structure, Tulane would have secured a guaranteed berth last season as the highest-rated Group of Six champion, landing at No. 20 in the final CFP rankings. Meanwhile, Notre Dame—which was famously left out of the bracket as the first team out last December—would have earned a home game as the No. 11 seed. (The Fighting Irish already have a 2026 CFP assurance if they finish ranked inside the top 12, thanks to a memorandum of understanding signed last spring.) Other teams that would have earned first-round byes or home-field advantages would have made for a thrilling, expanded bracket.

Whether you're a fan of a powerhouse program or a rising Group of Six contender, the potential for more teams, more games, and more drama is undeniable. As the playoff landscape shifts, one thing is clear: college football is gearing up for its biggest postseason evolution yet.