Will the College Football Playoff change in 2025? That remains to be seen, but discussions are heating up. Sources told On3 that conference commissioners recently met to discuss potential format changes, but no final decisions were made. While expansion is a strong possibility, officials are still gathering information before making any commitments.
During the latest meeting, multiple models were explored for the playoff outside of 2025, including increasing the field from 12 teams to 14 or even 16. ACC commissioner Jim Phillips confirmed that discussions took place, but he emphasized that more details are needed before moving forward. Officials also reviewed how the 2024 Playoff would have looked under different formats, analyzing possible seeding adjustments and automatic qualifiers. While no major moves were made, the talks indicate that expansion remains a serious consideration.
The SEC and Big Ten continue to hold significant influence over the future of the College Football Playoff. According to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger, both conferences have a strong say in potential expansion and have reportedly floated the idea of automatic bids for their teams. Neither SEC commissioner Greg Sankey nor Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti spoke publicly after the meeting, but sources told On3 they are pushing for “straight seeding”—a system that aligns the Playoff field with the CFP rankings while still guaranteeing spots for at least five conference champions, according to the lates report.
One major obstacle to any immediate change is the requirement for unanimous approval among conference leaders. Any modifications to the 2025-26 Playoff format must be agreed upon by all parties, making it difficult to implement significant adjustments without full consensus. The current media deal with ESPN expires in 2026, so any alterations to the format could also impact future broadcasting negotiations.
For now, the future of the College Football Playoff remains uncertain. The next meeting in March will be a key moment in determining whether expansion gains traction or if the 12-team format will continue as planned. The SEC and Big Ten appear to be steering the conversation, but with unanimous approval required, every conference will have a voice in shaping the Playoff’s future, at least for 2025. After that, it will pretty much just be the SEC-Big Ten show.