CFP Field to Remain at 12 Teams for 2026

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The CFP Committee announced today that the 2026 field would remain at 12 teams, like the last two years. The SEC and Big 10 are currently at an impasse as to how to expand. The SEC favors 16 teams with the same five automatic bids and 11 at-large selections. The Big 10 wants a 24 team field with playoffs within conferences to determine a guaranteed number of teams from each Power Four conference. Another issue would be how any expanded field would protect the exclusive Army-Navy game window, which everyone wants to keep intact.

The qualifying has been tweaked somewhat. The conference champions from the Power 4 conferences will automatically be included, as will Notre Dame if it finishes in the top 12 in the final rankings. Under that system, Notre Dame and Duke would have been in the playoff last year and Miami would have been excluded. The Group of 5 is now the Group of 6 as the former Pac 12 has added a few other teams from western conferences and reconstituted itself. The top ranking Group of 6 ateam will also get a guaranteed bid. First round games will again be played on campus, with the top four seeded teams getting a first-round bye.