The push for a 24-team College Football Playoff is gaining real steam. The American Football Coaches Association recently voted in favor of the expanded model, the Big Ten has been circulating its 24-team blueprint for months, and even a White House committee has signaled support. The 2026 season will still feature the 12-team format, but if commissioners agree before the December 1 deadline, the 24-team era could arrive as soon as 2027.
Under the preferred “23+1” model, the field would include the 23 highest-ranked teams plus one guaranteed spot for the top Group of Six champion. The top eight seeds would earn first-round byes. Seeds 9 through 24 would host opening-round games on campus, with conference championship weekend eliminated to make room for the new round.
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So what would that bracket look like for the 2026 season? Here’s a reasonable projection of the field if it ended today.
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Opening-Round Byes (Seeds 1-8)
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Ohio State (Big Ten): The Buckeyes return Heisman finalist Julian Sayin, superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith, and rising tailback Bo Jackson. They’re the consensus No. 1.
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Oregon (Big Ten): Dante Moore returned for one more shot at a title, and a healthy Evan Stewart gives the Ducks the Big Ten’s best receiving corps.
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Georgia (SEC): Gunner Stockton is back, the running back room is loaded, and Kirby Smart’s floor is always a top-five team.
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Notre Dame (Independent): CJ Carr leads a roster with national title ambitions, and the schedule sets up nicely for a high seed.
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Texas (SEC): Arch Manning is healthy, Auburn transfer Cam Coleman headlines a stacked skill group, and Will Muschamp is back running the defense.
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Miami (ACC): Duke transfer Darian Mensah gives the Hurricanes legitimate Heisman upside in a favorable ACC.
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LSU (SEC): Lane Kiffin’s debut features Sam Leavitt, a No. 1-ranked transfer class, and a defense ahead of schedule.
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Texas A&M (SEC): Marcel Reed and Mario Craver headline an Aggies team coming off 11 wins.
First-Round Home Games (Seeds 9-16 host 17-24)
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No. 24 Boise State at No. 9 Indiana: The Broncos enter as the top Group of Six team and grab the lone auto-bid. Indiana brings back its system under Curt Cignetti with TCU transfer Josh Hoover.
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No. 23 Tennessee at No. 10 Oklahoma: John Mateer leads the Sooners against a Vols team breaking in new DC Jim Knowles.
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No. 22 Iowa at No. 11 BYU: Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin make the Cougars the Big 12 favorite. Kirk Ferentz teams always find a way to nine wins.
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No. 21 Penn State at No. 12 Texas Tech: The Sorsby gambling situation hurts, but the Red Raiders’ roster talent still travels. Matt Campbell’s first PSU team gets in via at-large.
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No. 20 Florida at No. 13 USC: Lincoln Riley’s most complete LA roster yet hosts a sneaky Gators team led by Jon Sumrall.
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No. 19 Washington at No. 14 Alabama: Demond Williams Jr. and the Huskies head south to face a Tide squad with starting quarterback questions.
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No. 18 Missouri at No. 15 Michigan: Bryce Underwood gets a home game in Year 2 against Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers, who landed Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons.
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No. 17 SMU at No. 16 Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss returns to the Rebels via court injunction, while Kevin Jennings and the Mustangs make their second straight appearance.
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The first four out under this projection: Louisville, Virginia Tech, Utah, and Houston. All four have Top 25 talent and realistic paths into the field if the chips fall right in November.
What Stands Out
The SEC and Big Ten dominate, as expected. They would combine for 14 of the 24 spots in this projection (eight SEC, six Big Ten). The ACC would land two power slots in Miami and SMU, with Notre Dame in as an independent. The Big 12 would get two in BYU and Texas Tech. Boise State’s auto-bid is the only G6 access point under the “23+1” model, which is why so many coaches at non-power schools have a lukewarm view of it.
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The other thing worth noting: a 24-team field essentially turns the regular season into a long qualifier rather than a gauntlet. Teams like Penn State and Tennessee, which would be squarely on the bubble in a 12-team format, comfortably get in here. Whether that’s a feature or a bug depends on whether you value access or exclusivity, and that debate is exactly why commissioners are still arguing over the format with the December 1 deadline closing in.
For now, the 12-team College Football bracket remains the law of the land for 2026. But if the 24-team model arrives in 2027 as proposed, expect brackets that look a lot like this one. Bigger, busier, and of course, with a whole lot more December football for fans and pundits to argue about.
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