The biggest change in college football since the creation of the College Football Playoff is officially on the way.
According to Heather Dinich of ESPN, the College Football Playoff and ESPN have agreed to a new five-year media rights deal worth nearly $1.7 billion that will expand the CFP to 24 teams beginning in 2027. Perhaps just as notably, the move is expected to eliminate the lucrative conference championship games currently played by the Power 4 conferences.
For the Big 12, this is exactly the type of outcome commissioner Brett Yormark has been pushing for.
Yormark has repeatedly advocated for playoff expansion, arguing that a larger field would create more opportunities for conferences outside of the traditional SEC and Big Ten power structure. A 24-team format dramatically increases the Big 12’s chances of routinely placing multiple teams in the playoff and gives the conference more opportunities to earn postseason revenue and national exposure.
The move also validates much of the Big 12’s strategy in recent years. The conference has emphasized depth over having a single national title favorite, and a 24-team playoff rewards exactly that type of league. Instead of needing one team to finish in the top four nationally, the Big 12 could realistically place three, four, or even more teams in the field during strong seasons.
The most fascinating element of the agreement may be what happens to conference championship games.
The Big 12 Championship Game has become one of the league’s marquee events, generating significant revenue and attention. Yet if championship games disappear under the new format, the conference will have to find alternative tentpole events and revenue opportunities. Yormark recently addressed that possibility and indicated the league would adapt if changes became necessary.
From a competitive standpoint, however, the benefits likely outweigh the drawbacks. At least for the conference directly.
For years, Big 12 fans have argued that the conference has been unfairly squeezed in the race for playoff spots. Under a 24-team system, that argument largely disappears. More teams will have access, more conferences will be represented, and more programs will have meaningful games deep into November.
If finalized, this agreement won’t just change the College Football Playoff. It could fundamentally reshape the future of the Big 12 and college football as a whole.
Now for the league, they have to start winning CFP games. The league is 1-7 all-time in Playoff games. Let’s see if that can change, and starting this postseason.
