What a 24-Team CFP Means for Baylor Football
In this story:
It's done and it's official; college football will have a 24 team playoff next season. Traditionalists will hate it, but it's going to end up making a pretty penny for ESPN, so at least they'll be fine with it. Baylor, however, could become a beneficiary of the expansion though. Starting in 2027, and for the next five years, the 12 team playoff becomes a 24 team extravaganza.
Conferences are Entirely Too Big
THE FIRST CFP TOP 25 RANKINGS HAVE DROPPED!
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 4, 2026
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/1QIqGCN0zo
Especially with the removal of a conference championship game (as per the terms for the playoff), the conferences run the risk of being entirely too ballooned for the cream to rise to the top. With 16 teams and only 9 conference games played we end up in the situation like we currently find ourselves in terms of deciding who should go to a 12 team playoff.
UCLA is currently undefeated in the Big 10, but CFP No. 3 behind an undefeated Big 12 Utah Utes at No. 2, and Georgia from the SEC with one loss, but sitting atop the rankings at No. 1. The debate at the top of the conferences will be what it will be, as the 12 team playoff was meant to help solve that issue. However, with 16 teams in each conference, there stands a chance each season that multiple teams in a conference could go undefeated in their conference; the conference championship games were meant to help alleviate that from becoming a problem.
A 24 Team Playoff Makes Things Simple....Or At Least It Should
Officially official. https://t.co/17ut7qElFM
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 9, 2026
Finish the season ranked within the top 24, and you're in. Seems simple enough, right? This actually might initially cause disputes over "who deserves to be ranked" but if merit and not name-value alone is truly rewarded, in a couple years this may be the best actual way to conduct a playoff. However, until then, this is going to become quite the headache and topic for discussion as I foresee numerous unranked teams going to be selected to participate in next year's 24 team playoff.
Baylor Should Benefit From the Expansion
I know a lot of people are upset at this. I'm not. I think it's awesome, and we'll see if I'm right or wrong.
— Some.BYU.Dude (@ByuSome) November 9, 2026
We have more parity than ever before in CFB right now. I don't think the CFP committee gets 12 teams right. I like 16, but that leaves room for their error. I think 24… https://t.co/J0EsBlvYZ8
If we take the four "Power Conferences" (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC), and presume (for sake of discussion) that each will likely be expected to produce four contenders each, allowing the rest of the bracket to be filled by "at-large" bids. Baylor currently sits in a 5-way tie for 3rd place in the Big 12 (6th in the Big 12 technically through current tiebreakers), but will be going against three of the top four teams in the coming weeks. The remaining 8 "at-large" bids (after the first 16 are divvied among the top of the P4), could certainly benefit a team like Baylor who could find themselves just outside of that standing.
If This Season had a 24 Team Playoff
Per multiple reports, the College Football Playoff will officially expand to 24 teams in 2027 pic.twitter.com/CKTxRvtFY7
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 9, 2026
A 24 team playoff would theoretically could see the Bears as a participant by winning more than one of their three upcoming games as it would nestle them at or near that 4th place position, which could get the Bears ranked in the top 24. Likewise, two losses for the Bears (if the 24 team playoff were implemented for this season) in any of the next three weeks would certainly see them eliminated from contention.
Sign up for our Free Newsletter and follow us on X and Facebook for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Brad is a writer and contributes to the Baylor Bears on SI, with aspirations to share his own unique thoughts and perspectives with fans. Whether through the facts and figures of the past or the untold potential and triumphs of the future, sports have always been a large influence on Brad's storytelling and life overall. His inspiration to write began while watching sports when he first noticed the highs and lows of each game, each quarter, each play; there's a story in each of them worth telling, and he wanted to tell them.
Follow TheBradTeague