CHICAGO — The Big Ten Conference has circulated an internal proposal detailing an ambitious plan to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams and to eliminate conference championship games under that format, according to a document obtained by ESPN. The report outlines how the expanded field could be structured and how it would differ from the current 12-team model.
Under the plan, which the Big Ten refers to as the “24 team CFP Format Compromise,” the playoff field would ultimately grow to 24 teams as soon as the 2029 season, with a phased expansion to 16 teams in 2027 and 2028. That is well beyond the current arrangement, in which the CFP will remain a 12-team field for the 2026 season after leaders from the Power Five conferences were unable to reach an agreement on a new format.
The proposed 24-team structure would mark a significant departure from the current system, which guarantees automatic qualifiers through conference championship games and limits the field to 12 teams. In contrast, the Big Ten’s document suggests eliminating conference championships entirely as part of the 24-team format.
Instead of securing automatic berths by winning a league title game, teams would be selected under a 23+1 model, with the top 23 teams in the nation earning spots and one berth reserved for a representative from the Group of Six conferences. The top eight teams would receive first-round byes, and 16 teams would play eight opening-round games on college campuses. Those winners would then play eight second-round games, also on campus, with the bracket narrowing into a quarterfinal round played at bowl sites around New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Semifinals and a national championship game would follow on neutral sites later in January.
The proposal calls for avoiding regular-season rematches in the first round of the expanded playoff. Conference opponents who did not meet during the regular season could be paired up, but teams that already played each other that year would not be matched on the opening weekend.
Big Ten officials view the larger playoff field as a response to the current college football landscape, where early losses — even by strong teams — can eliminate legitimate national title contenders. In the document, the conference argued a 24-team playoff would “provide an appropriate safety net” in an era of frequent roster changes due to the transfer portal and evolving team dynamics.
The plan also includes a proposed timeline for the 24-team tournament to begin in the second weekend of December, spacing out games on Friday and Saturday to avoid direct competition with the NFL. The quarterfinals would take place at traditional New Year’s Six bowl locations, followed by the semifinals and the national championship game in mid-January.
While the Big Ten’s document outlines what the league envisions for a future playoff system, it does not represent a formal, finalized CFP agreement. The proposal has been shared with athletic directors and a working group of head coaches within the conference, but a final decision on the CFP format will require agreement among all Power Five commissioners and the CFP management committee.
One point of contention in the broader CFP expansion discussion has been how to balance tradition and revenue. Conference championship games have been lucrative for leagues and often serve as marquee matchups that draw significant viewership and sponsorship money. Under the Big Ten’s proposed 24-team model, those games would disappear, raising questions about how leagues would compensate for lost revenue.
A separate source reported that the SEC was open to expanding the CFP to 16 teams for the 2026 season but declined the Big Ten’s demand for a committed path to a 24-team field, prompting the two sides to maintain the status quo for one more season.
The CFP management committee has set a December 1 deadline for deciding on any format changes for 2027. That means discussions over the Big Ten’s 24-team approach and alternatives will continue throughout the 2026 season and into the postseason.