About the 24-Team CFP Format
How the 24-Team CFP Field Is Set
The 24-team format takes effect for the 2027-28 season. The participating teams will consist of:
Seeding the 24-Team CFP Bracket
- CFP First Round games will be played on the campuses of Seeds 9-16.
- CFP Second Round games will be played on the campuses of Seeds 1-8.
- 16 total games will be played on campus in the expanded 24-team format, up from four.
- The CFP Quarterfinals and CFP Semifinals will be played at the six CFP Bowls: Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar.
- The CFP National Championship will stay with its host city.
- 23 games of Playoff football, every one of them on ESPN and/or ABC.
Click here to open the full PDF.
The 24-Team CFP Bracket
The Journey
From on-campus games in the CFP First and Second Rounds, through the CFP Quarterfinals and CFP Semifinals at the six CFP Bowls, to the CFP National Championship in its host city.
Scheduling Standards & Preserving Tradition
The CFP Management Committee has adopted scheduling standards that will incentivize institutions to schedule additional compelling non-conference, regular season matchups.
In collaboration with the CFP, Heisman will move Heisman Trophy Weekend one week earlier. This change will preserve one of college football's most cherished traditions, all while adapting to the sport's evolving postseason calendar.
In 2027, Heisman Weekend will be held December 3-5.
No CFP games will be scheduled in conflict with the historic Army-Navy game. The Army-Navy game is a national treasure that showcases our future leaders. The CFP Management Committee has worked closely with the American Conference on behalf of both academies and CBS Sports to provide a solution that preserves the tradition's protected window from Playoff games while providing Army and Navy an opportunity to compete for a national championship.
Media Rights & Broadcast Details with ESPN
ESPN is the exclusive, worldwide Media Rightsholder of the CFP through the 2031-32 season. The game broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date.
The agreement brings every game of the 24-team Playoff to ESPN and/or ABC.
ESPN retains the right to sublicense select games.
