College Football Playoff to remain at 12 teams after SEC and Big Ten fail to agree on expansion

By Canadian Press on January 23, 2026.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — The College Football Playoff will remain at 12 teams after the commissioners of the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten couldn’t come up with a compromise for expansion.

The CFP Management Committee announced Friday the 12-team format would stay the same for the 2026-27 season. The decision provides additional time for evaluation and discussion on the current format and potential changes in the future.

The CFP went from four teams to 12 teams for the 2024 season, and the two most powerful conferences favored further expansion but could not agree on a number.

The SEC pushed for 16 teams, with an emphasis on at-large bids — a format favored by the Power Four leagues other than the Big Ten and most of the smaller conferences that are hoping for access into whatever comes next.

The Big Ten has pushed for a bracket of up to 24 teams with multiple automatic qualifiers from each conference. It could do away with the need for conference title games and replace them with seeding games to determine, say, two or three of the automatic spots.

“After ongoing discussion about the 12-team playoff format, the decision was made to continue with the current structure,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said. “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.”

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 Jan. 25, 2027.

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The Associated Press