CFP expanding to 24 teams, ending SEC title game

The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams for the 2027 season, a move that will eliminate conference championship games, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich. That change would end the SEC Championship Game after this season’s matchup, scheduled for Dec. 5 in Atlanta.

The new field will include the four Power 4 conference champions, the highest-ranked Group of 6 team and 19 at-large selections. Teams seeded one through eight will receive first-round byes, while the teams seeded No. 9 through 24 will begin play during the second weekend of December.

The round of 16 will be played on college campuses. The quarterfinals and semifinals will remain at neutral sites, and Selection Sunday for the 2027 season is scheduled for Nov. 28, 2027.

The calendar will move forward, with the season beginning the week before Labor Day, traditionally known as Week Zero. The five-season agreement between ESPN and the College Football Playoff will pay out nearly $1.7 billion.

Dinich reported that ESPN will get back $140 million through the cancellation of the SEC, ACC and Big 12 championship games. ESPN also will pay an additional $345 million a year to offset those cancellations.

The reported plan would end the SEC title game after this season. The Bulldogs have won the past two conference championships and currently lead the SEC standings.

Georgia was No. 2 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings and moved to No. 1 in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll after beating Ole Miss. The Bulldogs have made both 12-team playoff fields so far, after reaching the four-team field three times and winning two national championships during that format’s 2014 through 2023 run.

Why it matters

The new format creates 19 at-large bids while removing the SEC Championship Game from the postseason path. Georgia has won the past two SEC titles and made both 12-team playoff fields so far.

What to watch next

Georgia will play Missouri this weekend at 3:30 p.m. ET. This season’s SEC Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 5 in Atlanta.