By 2026, the College Football Playoff will include 12 teams.
The playoff committee said on Friday that the four-team playoff will be increased to 12 teams in 2026 after months of delay.
It's not impossible, according to some reports, that the playoff will include 12 teams in 2024 or 2025. The expension would start in 2026 after the current CFP contract expires.
Since the College Football Playoff's introduction prior to the 2014 season, there have been four teams.
It will complete its initial 12-year television contract with ESPN if it doesn't grow before 2026 and stays at four for the following four seasons.
The top six conference champions from the 10 currently active conferences will be included in the 12-team format, according to the CFP, along with six wild card teams.
While the remaining eight teams played first-round games at the homes of the higher-seeded teams, the top four conference champions received byes.
The tournament's final seven games would then be played at neutral locations, denying the top four seeds the chance to host a postseason game.
The field will reportedly include the six highest ranked conference champions and six at-large teams.
A larger postseason following will only contribute to college football's continued national relevance and perhaps even level the recruiting playing field.
The number of teams in the playoff will probably also boost conferences' and universities' television income.
The $470 million per year that ESPN pays for the broadcast rights under the present model will be greatly exceeded by the 12-team version's revenue.