Expanded College Football Playoff format affects Iowa Hawkeyes
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Nov 14, 2026, 12:01 AM
Last updated Nov 14, 2026
The College Football Playoff will expand to 24 teams starting in the 2027 season. The new format includes 19 at-large bids and five automatic qualifiers, with the top eight teams receiving byes. This change eliminates conference championship games, with the regular season concluding on Thanksgiving weekend. Iowa Hawkeyes fans generally view the expansion as beneficial for the team, which would have qualified for the new playoff 10 times since 2002 under the new rules.
- •24-team playoff format begins in 2027, expanding from 12 teams.
- •Top eight teams receive byes; 16 playoff games to be held on campus.
- •Iowa would have made the playoff 10 times since 2002 under new rules.
- •Conference championship games are discontinued after this season.
- •Regular-season schedules will conclude on Thanksgiving weekend.
- 12:01 AMYahoo Sports — Is the Expanded College Football Playoff Really Good for the Iowa Hawkeyes?
"The new format should give the Hawkeyes more chances to make the playoffs, but at what cost financially?
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