Talks about expanding the College Football Playoff from 12 to 24 teams have gained steam, with the new format potentially debuting in 2027. No final agreement has been reached, and the CFP is sticking with its 12-team format for the 2026 season, but recent reports suggest that it's only a matter of time before the playoff format expands. The proposal has received plenty of criticism from fans and analysts who worry that doubling the field could make the regular season less meaningful, along with concerns over player safety, conference championship games, and the balance of power.
Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard specifically pointed to how a 24-team playoff could affect schools outside of the sport's wealthiest conferences, such as the SEC and Big Ten. "I really just worry about access," Shephard said. "When you start talking about expanding to 24 teams, and you think about the men's NCAA basketball tournament and the number of teams that get an opportunity to get involved in that tournament because they win their conference championships and things of that nature.
And that has not always been available to everybody in college football. "I don't want to be disrespectful, but if you're in some of these conferences around the country, specifically outside of the top five, it's sometimes a little more difficult to get to the dance, even with winning your conference. I'm hoping that with that 24-team playoff ...
Everyone has to work under the same set of rules. So let's try to make it more accessible to more people, rather than just trying to make the rich richer. And that's what it ends up boiling down to; the rich get richer, and I'm hoping that that's not the case.
I hope the NCAA actually does care about all student-athletes, not just the ones in the SEC and the Big Ten." More news: Notre Dame Gets Surprising CFP Prediction Ahead of Miami Clash Shephard has Oregon State inching towards its first CFP in program history. The Beavers are 5-2 overall and 3-0 in Pac-12 play after losing their first two games against ranked opponents, Houston and Texas Tech. They've since won five straight, scoring at least 48 points in each of their last three victories over Colorado State, San Diego State, and Washington State.
Oregon State has one of the most high-powered offenses in the country behind sophomore quarterback Braden Atkinson and star freshman receiver Jesse Legree, who leads the FBS with 1,040 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns through seven games. With just four games left on the schedule, they're firmly in the hunt for a spot in the Pac-12 title game. The Beavers' remaining schedule includes going to Fresno State on Saturday, followed by a home game against Texas State, traveling to Boise State, and then closing out the season back in Corvallis against Utah State.
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