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College football leaders debate playoff expansion ahead of Friday deadline from ESPN

Jan. 18, 2026, in Miami Beach, Fla., College Football Playoff commissioners and school presidents met but failed to reach agreement, with Tony Petitti and Greg Sankey saying talks will continue.
The Big Ten and SEC disagree: the Big Ten proposes 24 teams with multiple automatic qualifiers, while the SEC pushes 16 teams emphasizing at-large bids; revenue distribution favors the SEC and Big Ten over the ACC and Big 12.
Proposals range from 16 to 24 teams, including replacing conference title games with seeding games to award two or three automatic spots, and Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson said such a system adds regular season value.
If commissioners can't agree, the tournament stays at 12, with a Dec. 1, 2026 deadline to change; the Miami-Indiana final ends the current contract as a new deal begins next season.
With control concentrated in the Big Ten and SEC, Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, chair of the CFP board of managers, said compromise isn’t dead despite expansion risking the service academies annual meeting.

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College football leaders debate playoff expansion ahead of Jan. 23 deadline from ESPN

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — College football leaders gave every indication Jan. 18 that they remain stuck in a yearlong debate about expanding the playoff from 12 teams to 16 or beyond. Commissioners and school presidents met on the eve of the College Football Playoff title game, facing a Jan. 23 deadline from ESPN — the $7.8 billion bankroller of the postseason — to decide on changing or staying at the current 12-team model. The debate boils down to tw…

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