College football leaders debate playoff expansion ahead of Friday deadline from ESPN
January 18, 2026
College football leaders gave every indication that they remain stuck in a yearlong debate about expanding the playoff from 12 teams to 16 or beyond. Commissioners and school presidents met on the eve of the College Football Playoff title game, facing a Friday deadline from ESPN to decide on changing or staying with the current 12-team model. ESPN bankrolls the postseason. The debate boils down to two conferences, the Big Ten and SEC, that have widely different visions of where the playoff should go. The SEC wants a 16-team playoff, the Big Ten wants 24. If they can’t agree, the playoff will stay at 12 teams for next season.