College Football Playoff expands to 24 teams as ACC ends annual title game

The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams for the 2027-28 season after unanimous approval by its management committee on Monday. According to the CFP's official announcement, the current season will retain its 12-team format, while the larger field will remain in place through 2031-32.

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Five places will be reserved for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions and the highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt. The remaining 19 places will go to the highest-ranked available teams in the selection committee's final standings. Seeds one through eight will receive first-round byes.

The higher seeds will host the first two rounds, creating 16 campus games. Quarterfinals and semifinals will stay with the six existing bowl partners. ESPN secured exclusive worldwide media rights, with sublicensing permitted; the CFP did not disclose financial terms.

The ACC separately announced that its 2026 football championship game will be its last annual edition, linking the decision to playoff expansion. Its final scheduled championship will take place on December 5 at noon Eastern at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, with ABC broadcasting. The top two teams from the regular season will contest the conference title and an automatic playoff berth.

How the ACC will identify its champion after that remains unresolved. The conference said it will work with member institutions, the CFP and other stakeholders on the future selection process and release further details as that work develops. Charlotte has staged 15 of the past 16 ACC championship games; the event has also been held in Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando during its history. The conference thanked host communities and its partners for their contributions to the event over more than two decades.

In a separate statement responding to the expansion, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips emphasized the additional championship opportunities for players, teams and supporters. He also argued that regular-season competition would retain its importance under the larger bracket, with conference results and non-conference schedules contributing to qualification, seeding, byes and the opportunity to host playoff games.