College Football Playoff Expands to 24 Teams, Opening New Avenues for Programs
The College Football Playoff (CFP) has officially approved expanding its postseason field to 24 teams, beginning next season. This expansion presents a new goal for North Dakota State University's football team, the Bison, who are in their first year of…
Fargo Valley City, ND, November 9, 2026 — The College Football Playoff (CFP) has officially approved a significant expansion of its postseason tournament, increasing the field to 24 teams. This change is slated to take effect starting with the upcoming season. The decision introduces a broader scope for collegiate football’s premier championship event.
The expansion is expected to provide more opportunities for a wider range of teams across the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) to compete for the national title. This development is particularly noteworthy for programs that are transitioning or have recently established their presence at the FBS level.
Among those programs is North Dakota State University (NDSU), whose football team, the Bison, is currently in its first year of FBS play. The addition of 12 more spots in the playoff field presents a new and potentially more accessible goal for NDSU as they aim to compete for a national championship. Previously, the CFP field consisted of four teams.
This strategic expansion by the CFP committee aims to recognize a greater number of conference champions and high-performing independent teams, thereby increasing the stakes and excitement around the latter part of the college football season. The increased number of participants means that more teams will have a chance to prove their mettle on the national stage.
Story summarized from the original created by Jeff Kolpack on www.inforum.com, see more information here.
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