A 24-Team CFP Comes With Downside, But Solves the Notre Dame Problem

In a fast-changing sport, the move to 24 teams would be the biggest adjustment yet.

Nov 8, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The Golden Dome atop the Main Building with fall foliage before the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. the Navy Midshipmen logos at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The talk of the college football off-season thus far has largely been centered around the future of the CFP.

Should the field stay as is at 12 or move to a 16 or 24-team model?

What's most interesting about these debates and discussions is how each team and conference is angling for what they believe will put their group in the best position for sustained success and what is best for the sport.

There will never be full consensus on this issue, and there are several downsides to a 24-team model, but there's one big upside.

A 24-team CFP will water down the regular season

In my opinion, the best thing about college football is that it features the shortest regular season of all the major sports. With only 12 games, each one carries immense significance and makes every Saturday must-see TV.

Expanding the CFP net to 24 teams mathematically means each regular-season game carries less weight. Teams will be able to lose multiple games, possibly even up to 3-4, and still have a chance at winning a title.

How the 2025 CFP bracket would have looked as a 24-team playoff 👀

Full breakdown from @BCrawford247 🔗 https://t.co/90niyynS7D pic.twitter.com/GGCkOy5hcI

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) May 8, 2026

November rivalry games will be affected heavily by a 24-team format

November college football is intense. Coming down the home stretch of the season, the separation between pretenders and contenders plays out in physical rivalry games that carry major consequences.

A change to 24 teams would water this dynamic down. Many of these games will be played between teams that will be in the expanded field, whether they win or lose, making said games, by definition, less important.

The 24-teamer does solve one huge issue, one that burned Notre Dame

For all of the talk about the watering down of the regular season, a 24-team CFP would eliminate a huge issue that has plagued the sport and the CFP.

Trying to compare vastly different records and schedules. The CFP committee takes a lot of heat, especially in Notre Dame circles, given how last season ended for the Irish, but this group really does have a tough task.

There is no good way to compare so many wildly varying records and schedules equally and fairly. This means that sometimes, some really good teams are left out of the playoff.

The 24-team model solves this issue. While some teams may disagree with the seed they receive, any team with a real chance to win the title will be included in the field.

This is the ultimate safety net, but it remains to be seen at what cost it comes with regard to a watered-down regular season.