The College Football Playoff is set to expand from 12 teams to 24 teams next season, and the move is drawing sharp pushback from fans who say it will water down the regular season and strip rivalry games of the stakes that make college football special. The criticism comes after a wild Saturday in which five top-10 teams, including Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Notre Dame, and Indiana, all took losses yet remained firmly alive in the championship hunt.
According to Yahoo Sports, which published the critique in its Free Agent newsletter on October 20, the expansion means it could take four or even five losses to knock a powerhouse program out of playoff contention. Under this year's 12-team format, Alabama and Texas, each sitting at two losses, are on the bubble with little room for error. Next year, that same Saturday chaos would barely register.
Why a 24-team playoff changes everything
The core problem, as the newsletter lays it out, is that the sport's drama has always come from scarcity. A first loss used to mean a rival probably would not win a national title. A second loss meant the Rose Bowl was out of reach. A third meant a trip to a mid-tier bowl game and a ruined season.
With 24 teams invited, that math collapses. The newsletter points to Iowa as proof: the Hawkeyes entered last year's playoff selection ranked 23rd by the committee with an 8-4 record. A four-loss Iowa team was already on the playoff doorstep under the current format, and expansion makes that the norm rather than the exception.
For Iowans who live for the Cy-Hawk game, the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, and the annual grind of Big Ten play, the concern is real. A rivalry win still feels good, but the newsletter argues it will start to resemble college basketball, where beating your rival often just means they get a slightly worse NCAA Tournament seed.
Fans are not happy, and the numbers back it up
The fan opposition is not just anecdotal. The Athletic surveyed more than 6,000 college football fans about the expansion, and most respondents said they want the playoff to stay at 12 teams or fewer.
The reaction was visible on national television too. When ESPN's College GameDay discussed expansion on Saturday, the crowd at BYU booed the segment, an irony the newsletter noted given that BYU would likely be one of the programs that benefits most from a bigger field.
Follow the money
The newsletter does not pretend the motive is a mystery. In the business of sports, more inventory for television is king, and the power conferences believe more teams playing more playoff games means more revenue.
The writer takes a notably free-market view, saying he does not begrudge institutions for chasing profit. The real question is whether the math even works. Conference championship games, particularly the Big Ten and SEC title games, reportedly outdraw many playoff games. Abandoning those contests to make room for extra playoff rounds could mean trading proven ratings for a gamble on quantity.
ESPN and the power conferences know the fan unhappiness exists, the newsletter argues, and they are betting enough people will watch anyway to make the expansion profitable.
Can fans force a reversal?
There is precedent for consumers pushing back successfully. The newsletter cites the NBA reversing course and putting the trophy logo on the court for the Finals after fan complaints, and, on a much larger scale, the collapse of soccer's European Super League after a sustained fan revolt.
The other possible check on expansion: a powerhouse program going independent. That kind of shakeup, the newsletter suggests, might be enough to shock conference leaders into a rethink.
What it means for Iowa
The Hawkeye angle cuts both ways. On one hand, a 24-team field makes the playoff far more reachable for programs like Iowa, Iowa State, and other schools that rarely crack the top 12. An 8-4 Iowa team ranked 23rd by the committee last year shows the door is already closer than many fans think.
On the other hand, the newsletter's central warning applies directly to Kinnick Stadium and Jack Trice Stadium alike. The value of every September and November Saturday in Iowa is built on the idea that losses matter. Take that away, and the regular season becomes background noise, something the writer admits happened to him this year, when he watched college football's most chaotic day while playing video games instead of giving it his full attention.
A broader pattern of expansion
The piece notes that nearly every major sport is adding more teams, bigger playoffs, and more television inventory. The one counterexample is a Major League Baseball proposal to cut eight games from the regular season, an idea the writer says he would love to see every sport copy at about a 25 percent reduction to make regular season games matter again.
The expansion to 24 teams is, according to Reason Magazine, which originally published the newsletter, almost officially set for next season. That leaves fans one offseason to make their voices heard before the format takes hold.
FAQ
When does the College Football Playoff expand to 24 teams?
The 24-team format is expected to take effect next season, according to the Yahoo Sports newsletter published October 20, 2026.
How many teams are in the College Football Playoff now?
The current format features 12 teams. Alabama and Texas, at two losses each, are considered on the playoff bubble under this year's rules.
Was Iowa close to making the playoff?
Yes. Iowa entered last year's final committee rankings at 23rd with an 8-4 record, showing how quickly the playoff field could include four-loss teams under expansion.
Do fans support a 24-team playoff?
No. A survey by The Athletic of more than 6,000 fans found most want the playoff to stay at 12 teams or fewer.