Major Publication Tabs Louisville as Potential College Football Playoff Newcomer for 2026

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In this day and age of college football, it's a lot easier for non-traditional powers to to become contenders. Between NIL and the transfer portal creating a level of parity never seen before in the sport, as well as the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams (and potentially bigger down the line), more and more teams have a chance to win a title.

This past season, not only did Indiana win their first national title, half of the 12-team field featured first time CFP participants - James Madison, Miami, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Tulane. The first year of the 12-team field in 2024 also featured first-team appearances from half of the participants, with Arizona State, Boise State, Indiana, Penn State, SMU and Tennessee earning bids.

Looking ahead to the 2026 season, it's safe to assume that we'll likely see a few more first-timers in the College Football Playoff. According to the folks at CBS Sports, who recently picked their six potential CFP newcomers for 2026, Louisville could be among the teams to make their first playoff appearance. BYU, Florida, Oklahoma State, South Carolina and USC were the other five.

"Jeff Brohm truly believes he can win the ACC and get to the playoff at Louisville," CBS Sports' Brad Crawford wrote. "If not, he would've already left his alma mater and taken an opportunity elsewhere after three years with nine-plus wins and an expert-level understanding of the portal. Similar to (Shane) Beamer's mindset at South Carolina, Brohm said after the season he's anxious to take the Cardinals to a level they've never been and believes this 2026 team is one that could get them there. "

Heading into Brohm's fourth season, many are extremely high on his Cardinals. Despite losing guys like Chris Bell, Caullin Lacy and T.J. Quinn due to graduation, Louisville is bringing back running back Isaac Brown, edge rusher Clev Lubin, linebackers Stanquan Clark and Antonio Watts, plus multiple other impact playmakers.

Louisville also did a fantastic job in the portal this cycle, as they rank No. 5 in On3's transfer portal team rankings. While UofL lost 26 players in the 14-day window, they countered that with a 32-player haul, bringing in several impact players. This includes Ohio State quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, Vanderbilt wide receiver Tre Richardson, UNC edge rusher Tyler Thompson and Tulsa tight end Brody Foley.

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