College Football Playoff Rules Remain Essentially the Same
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The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee, comprised of the 10 FBS conference commissioners and the Director of Athletics at the University of Notre Dame, announced today it will continue the 12-team playoff format for the 2026-27 season. The decision provides additional time for evaluation and discussion on the current format and potential changes in the future.
Under the terms of the management committee's 2024 operating agreement, the 2026-27 season's format will feature 12 teams based on conference champions and final ranking by the CFP Selection Committee. First-round games will be played on campus sites, followed by quarterfinals and semifinals hosted by the CFP bowls, and the national championship game, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 25, 2027.
Playoff to Remain Pretty Close to the Same
"After ongoing discussion about the 12-team playoff format, the decision was made to continue with the current structure," said Rich Clark, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff. "This will give the Management Committee additional time to review the 12-team format, so they can better assess the need for potential change. While they all agree the current format has brought more excitement to college football and has given more schools a real shot in the postseason, another year of evaluation will be helpful."
Synopsis of What to Expect in 2026-27
The 12-team structure is retained for the 2026-27 season to allow for further evaluation, rejecting immediate expansion to 16 or 24 teams. The champions of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC are guaranteed spots, regardless of final ranking. The highest-ranked champion from the remaining FBS conferences (Group of 6) receives an automatic bid. The remaining 7 spots are filled by at-large candidates. The Notre Dame Rule means the Fighting Irish are eligible for an automatic bid if they finish within the top 12 of the final CFP rankings.
The 2026-27 National Championship game will be played on January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Uniform Additions
In addition, the NCAA has approved the use of commercial sponsorship patches on uniforms, equipment, and apparel starting in 2026.
Portions Courtesy of the College Football Playoffs
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.