CFP, ESPN Reportedly Reach Framework for 24-Team Playoff
A "handshake agreement" between the College Football Playoff and ESPN indicates a move toward a 24-team playoff format, reportedly to compensate major conferences for eliminating their championship games. While official contracts are not finalized, a framework for the expansion, which…
Miami Fort Lauderdale, FL, October 16, 2026 —
A reported handshake agreement between the College Football Playoff and ESPN points toward expanding the playoff to 24 teams, though official contracts have not been finalized.
The framework could allow the expanded format to begin next season. The reported arrangement is tied to a proposed change for major conferences: compensation for eliminating their championship games. The available information does not specify how much compensation would be involved or how it would be distributed.
The agreement is described as a framework rather than a completed contract. That distinction leaves key terms unsettled, and the information available does not establish that the 24-team format has received final approval or will begin on a particular timetable. The exact structure of the proposed playoff, including how teams would qualify, is also not specified.
The report does not identify which major conferences would be affected or say whether every conference would eliminate its championship game. It also does not provide details about ESPN’s role beyond its reported agreement with the College Football Playoff.
For now, the reported framework signals a possible shift in the size of the postseason and in the role of conference championship games, but the plan remains subject to finalized contracts. Further details about the format, conference arrangements and timing were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by By EDDIE PELLS, Associated Press on www.local10.com, see more information here.
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