Iowa Football: The Good, the Bad and What a 24-Team College Football Playoff Means for the Hawkeyes

Well, the inevitable is officially upon us. After much discussion, rumors, and proposed plans, the expansion to the 24-team College Football Playoff is here. As much as many don't want it and have tried to make that known, it's coming in 2027.

The expansion raises concerns about how much the regular season matters, what will happen to bowl season, and whether the postseason field is getting watered down. All are valid concerns, and the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team consistently on the cusp of the field, are in the middle of this move.

Sources: The College Football Playoff is nearing a deal to expand to 24 teams, per sources. The new format will start in 2027 and is expected to come together in the near future, pending final approvals. pic.twitter.com/tRdVAiqKax
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 15, 2026

The Good

The first, and most obvious, good part of this is the fact of how much more accessible the College Football Playoff just became for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The winningest program not to make the CFP since its inception, Iowa is staring at a true path to the postseason.

Since 2014, Iowa has finished inside the top 25 of the College Football Playoff rankings six times. With 19 at-large bids in play, it's a fair assumption that Iowa would have made the field 50% of the time in an expanded field.

You can't ignore the fact that Iowa has a real possibility of hosting December games in Kinnick Stadium. That is a massive win for fans, the program, the university, and another revenue source that is sure to be tapped.

The Bad

Iowa is an unusual program to evaluate when talking about expanding the playoff. The Hawkeyes aren't about maximum transfer portal hauls, rapid roster reconstruction, or the NIL arms race. That's not them.

This expanded playoff is going to come at the expense of what makes college football so good. Making it to a New Year's Six bowl game was massive for so many programs. Winning bowl games matters for Iowa.

Expanding to 24 teams is stripping that away from teams and fans. This move is taking away a lot of what made the sport of college football so unique and special in the first place.

What it means for Iowa

On the one hand, the Hawkeyes are very likely to be in position every year to make the CFP. Making the postseason is a goal that will be on their list every single year moving forward.

The downside, though, could be the reality of what that means. Iowa is likely to make it into the 24-team field somewhere between the No. 16 and No. 24 seed more often than not, if we are being honest.

Is a postseason trip on the road each year to a top-ranked team better than a fun bowl game? I'm not sure.

Riley Donald's Quick Thoughts

The only constant in life is change.

I can sit here and moan about the expansion until I'm blue in the face. I don't want it. I haven't wanted it. But it's here. There's no running from it. I think what has to happen now is a reset for college football teams and fans.

Last year, we saw Iowa put Indiana and Oregon on the ropes. We saw Iowa take care of a 10-win Vanderbilt team from the SEC in the bowl game. This expanded playoff is going to open up avenues to new opponents for Iowa that we haven't seen before.

Iowa has a trip to the 12-team College Football Playoff on its mind this year. Moving forward, the Hawkeyes should also be thinking about proving themselves to the college football world when they get these inevitable opportunities.

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