Overview
- Coaches, in a vote disclosed Tuesday, recommended a College Football Playoff with the maximum number of teams, an end to conference championship games, a protected Army–Navy window and a finish by the second week of January.
- Power brokers remain split, with the Big Ten gaining allies for 24 teams as the SEC favors 16, while media math looms over the choice because league title games are worth about $250 million a year and consultants are valuing added playoff inventory at roughly $300–700 million.
- The leading 24-team concept gives the top eight seeds first-round byes and has seeds 9–24 play on campus, with selections driven by CFP rankings and one automatic berth reserved for the best champion from the sport’s smaller conferences.
- Calendar fixes in the coaches’ plan cut regular-season byes to one, require at least six days between playoff games and keep Army–Navy in a standalone TV slot under a presidential order, which may push that rivalry to Thanksgiving week or what is now title-game weekend.
- Nothing changes for 2026 as the 12-team format remains in place, CFP commissioners meet again in mid-June to review valuations and models, and any overhaul would need formal approval and new media deals before taking effect, likely no earlier than 2027.