College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams in ESPN Deal

College football will expand its postseason playoff to 24 teams next year under a lucrative new ESPN broadcast agreement.

College sports leaders have announced that the postseason playoff will expand to 24 teams starting next year. The overhaul includes the elimination of Power Four conference title games and an updated broadcast agreement with ESPN worth billions of additional dollars. The restructuring has drawn mixed reactions, including criticism from public officials over potential impacts on traditional traditions.

• The deal valueESPN agreed to a five-year contract extension adding $1,700,000,000 to the existing broadcast agreement.
• Format changesFive teams will automatically qualify for the expanded bracket while a selection panel chooses the remaining contenders.
• Political reactionFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly criticized the expansion on social media as short-sighted profit-seeking.
• Historical shiftThe transition eliminates conference championship games that operated for three decades.