College Football Playoff Meetings End Without Expansion Decision

MIAMI — Meetings of College Football Playoff executives Sunday ended without a decision on whether to expand the postseason for the 2026-27 season.

The CFP Management Committee, composed of a group of 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, has the authority to choose to expand. However, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey have the ultimate signoff and must agree in order for a new format to go forward. They still have not reached a consensus—Petitti has pushed for a 24-team model, while Sankey has pushed for a 16-team model, according to multiple reports.

“That’s up to two people in the room,” American conference commissioner Tim Pernetti told reporters, referring to the SEC and Big Ten. “There’s obviously a lot to discuss.”

Of those discussions, Petitti said: “Still more work to do. Not done working.” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey did not address reporters Sunday. 

Expansion appears imminent in general. Fans appear in favor of expansion—-especially those with top teams left out of the Playoff. Administrators are in favor of it too, including both Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson and Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich. Plus, there’s millions to be made; the 12-team Playoff television contract alone is already worth $7.8 billion.

But at this point, it’s unclear if the CFP will be able to expand next season. To do so, ESPN has given the CFP a deadline of Jan. 23; CFP executive director Rich Clark told reporters Sunday that ESPN will not provide another extension.

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said “we have time” to make a decision as he rode down an elevator away from reporters. But multiple conference commissioners said they did not have another official meeting for this week set.

If the commissioners can’t agree on an expansion plan by Jan. 23, their next deadline would be Dec. 1, 2026, according to Clark, who added that the ESPN contract includes an annual deadline of Dec. 1 to decide on a new format before the following year. 

Trump Weighs In

As commissioners continue to discuss formats, there’s another person weighing in: President Donald Trump. On Saturday night—hours before the CFP meetings—Trump announced he would sign an executive order that would “protect” the Army-Navy game amid potential CFP expansion. The order would block out a four-hour window to broadcast the game annually on the second Saturday in December without any other FBS games—including CFP matchups—played during that window.

The historic annual matchup of the two military academies is played in early December on a Saturday when no other FBS football games are played. But if the CFP expands, certain models could require CFP games on the same day as the Army-Navy game. 

Matters could get even more complicated if either program makes the CFP and would be torn away from the rivalry game in an expanded format. However, it would be possible to allow the programs a bye in the first round of the CFP to play the rivalry game instead.

Clark, who served for 38 years in the Air Force with the rank of Lieutenant General, told reporters Saturday that he wasn’t told in advance that Trump would post about the Army-Navy game. The president will be in attendance at the CFP national championship Monday night.