MARLER: 24-team College Football Playoff is coming

By Chris Marler

A 24-team College Football Playoff is coming, whether fans like it or not. The groundwork is in place, and despite the pushback, momentum keeps building.

Nobody’s asking for this. It’s like higher taxes or a lukewarm Filet-O-Fish, which is universally met with confusion and regret. And yet, here we are. Whether anyone wants it or not, it’s coming anyway.

College football is not a democracy. It’s essentially a small group of conference commissioners calling the shots, using the endless playoff revenue to paper over the growing cracks in the foundation of the sport we’ve loved for years. Cracks that were caused by the same people cashing the checks from these ten figure television contracts that come from an expanded playoff. 

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

Who’s to blame? The people in charge. And, Alabama if we are being honest. 

Nobody wanted four teams in a playoff until we got the rematch between LSU and Alabama in 2011. Nobody ever mentioned a 12-team playoff until an undefeated Power Four conference champion was left out in favor of Alabama in 2023. Combine that with the fact that the idiots running the sport seem to care about it far less than the people consuming it, watching it and counting down the days until it begins again. And, here we are.

The announcement of a 24-team College Football Playoff hasn’t come down yet, but the context clues have given it away. Earlier this offseason, Alabama was rumored to be getting rid of their home-and-home series with Ohio State. With the SEC going to a nine game conference schedule, there’s no reason for Alabama to make things even more difficult on themselves with a tenth Power Four game coming against a program like Ohio State. 

That’s arguably the exact reason why Texas finished 9-3 last season and missed the CFP field. People were frustrated by the potential cancellation earlier this offseason. Lo and behold, just three months later we found out that the series was still on after Alabama announced their intention to keep it on the upcoming schedule. 

Would Alabama have done that if they weren’t convinced the move from a 12 to 24-team playoff wasn’t coming? 

No, they wouldn’t. Period. 

NEW: Alabama will keep its 2027-28 home-and-home series with Ohio State, @Brett_McMurphy reports.

The Crimson Tide has canceled its series with Oklahoma State. https://t.co/pvDFzl45G5 pic.twitter.com/mf8ln2mrA7

— On3 (@On3) May 7, 2026

The only thing worse than the frustrating lack of consent from the consumers and complete disregard for the feedback fans have actually given is that we’re still going to watch it. 

You know. I know it. And, of course, they know it. Run from it all you want, but corporate greed and billion dollar checks don’t care about fans or feelings.