College Football Coaches Recommend 24-Team Playoff Expansion

The American Football Coaches Association has voted to recommend increasing the College Football Playoff to a maximum of 24 teams along with several other changes to the sport's structure. The recommendation includes eliminating conference championship games, concluding the regular season in the second week of January and ensuring the Army-Navy game receives its own dedicated broadcast window, according to a report from Yahoo Sports on May 6, 2026.

The association's executive director said the AFCA Board of Trustees is expected to release its formal support for the 24-team playoff and the removal of league title games. College football coaches across the country have expressed clear support for the changes, though the AFCA has not yet publicly detailed its full position on each proposed adjustment.

Earlier in 2026, Big Ten and SEC officials remained deadlocked on future playoff formats. The Big Ten has favored a 24-team model that includes multiple automatic qualifying spots for each conference. The SEC previously supported a 16-team "5+11" format in which the five highest-ranked conference champions would receive automatic bids.

One model under discussion would grant a single guaranteed qualifier to the highest-ranked champion from the Group of Six conferences while filling the remaining 23 spots through at-large selections based on the playoff selection committee's rankings.

Such a structure would likely benefit the Big Ten and SEC given their advantages in strength-of-schedule metrics compared with other Power Four leagues. The American Football Coaches Association represents more than 10,000 members worldwide, including coaches at the NFL, NCAA, NJCAA, NAIA and high school levels.

The most-discussed 24-team model centers on an at-large bracket determined by the College Football Playoff selection committee.