Paul Finebaum supports 24-team College Football Playoff
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ESPN’s Pete Thamel dropped some big news about an expanded College Football Playoff on Thursday, Oct. 15.
Thamel reported the CFP is close to a deal to expand to 24 teams, and the new format will begin with the 2027 college football season. The CFP is also finalizing a deal with ESPN to purchase the additional CFP games through the 2031 season, according to Thamel.
MORE: College Football Playoff nearing future 24-team format
A 24-team playoff has been the expectation for a while, and it was only a matter of time before it got finalized.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum reacted to the news during Friday’s edition of “First Take” and supported the playoff expansion.
“I think it is going to make college football a more exciting and a more relevant sport,” Finebaum said. “I have argued against it in the past because I was saying you were going to lose some of the regular season, but I’m sitting here in Knoxville (for Alabama-Tennessee). This is a cherished game. It’s one of the biggest weekends of the year for these two schools; they’ve been playing a million years. It will still be a big weekend with a playoff next year. But I think it opens the door to a lot of schools who never could have a shot at a playoff.”
Finebaum also said the playoff expansion will affect the bowl season and conference championship games, the latter of which he feels has lost “complete meaning.” Thamel’s report indicated conference title games would be eliminated under the 24-team CFP format.
What about this year’s College Football Playoff?
This year’s College Football Playoff will remain at 12 teams before next year’s format likely expands to 24.
It will follow the same format as last season’s, so we’ll see which team brings home the 2026 national title.
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