College football fans circled 2026 as an expansion season, hoping the CFP would jump to 16 teams or more. Instead, the committee hit pause, rolling the 12-team format back for another year. According to the growing buzz, the SEC and the Big Ten helped pump the brakes.

“They basically bullied their way into an agreement that provides them a lion’s share of revenue and control of the format,” a source said to On3. “Yet, they can’t work together because of their egos.”

The agreed-upon changes guarantee Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame a playoff berth with a top-12 ranking and secure automatic bids for the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12 champions. Notre Dame will earn over $12 million annually, with an extra $6 million for making the playoffs. It will bring its payout close to Big Ten and SEC levels in the years it receives an invite.

The ACC’s top team, Duke, and 11th-ranked Notre Dame were snubbed from the playoff, as Group of Six champs Tulane and James Madison jumped ahead under last year’s system. However, the key issue of expansion remains unresolved.

“While they all agree the current format has brought more excitement to college football and has given more schools a real shot in the postseason, another year of evaluation will be helpful,” said CFP executive director Rich Clark.

But the main issue lies with the two heavyweight conferences: the SEC and the Big Ten. Nearly two years ago, the two conferences demanded and fought for control to determine the future of the College Football Playoff. After gaining power, the SEC and the Big Ten held several meetings. But they failed to reach an agreement. 

The SEC backed a 16-team playoff built around at-large bids. It is a structure supported by the Power Four leagues outside the Big Ten and many smaller conferences seeking access to the next format.

The Big Ten is pushing for a playoff field of up to 24 teams. It will be decked out with multiple automatic qualifiers per conference and a model that could replace conference title games with seeding matchups.

However, the SEC and Big Ten don’t actually feel the urgency to expand. Under the current or near-term formats (12 or 16 teams), their teams already dominate the field. Second, automatic bids are the real sticking point. The SEC and Big Ten prefer formats heavy on at-large selections. That’s because multiple teams from their leagues can make strong résumé cases.

With the current 12-team format locked in, why is there still such a strong push for future expansion?

What a 2027 Playoff Expansion could look like

One major upside of a 24-team playoff is the surge in home games, with as many as 16 teams hosting first- and second-round matchups on their own campuses. The top eight get a bye and a home date in Round 2. Seeds 9-16 open the playoffs on their own turf, while 17-24 travel, stacking the deck in favor of home-field advantage.

It’s exactly why the Big Ten keeps lobbying for a 24 or 28-team playoff. Fox Sports boss Eric Shanks backs the push. Early returns from the 12-team playoff have been strong financially. That success only strengthens ESPN’s appetite for expansion as the rights holder through 2031. But what about the other conferences?

The Big Ten and SEC’s decision to allow Notre Dame to claim a spot squeezes the Big 12 once again. For instance, BYU finished No. 11 in the final AP poll yet still missed the field. Expand the table to 16 teams with four at-large bids, and suddenly the Big 12 has a legitimate path to landing two, maybe even three, playoff teams.

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No wonder commissioner Brett Yormark is firmly behind the 16-team model, the cleanest fit for all Power Four leagues. Will the SEC and Big Ten loosen their grip in 2027?