Reported CFP-ESPN Agreement Moves 24-Team Playoff Plan Forward

Minot Bismarck Dickinson, ND, October 16, 2026 —

A reported handshake agreement between the College Football Playoff and ESPN is moving college football closer to a 24-team playoff, according to sources cited by The Associated Press. The reported arrangement is aimed at compensating major conferences for the financial impact of eliminating their title games.

The summary of the agreement does not provide details about the proposed compensation, how it would be distributed or which conferences would receive it. It also does not specify when the agreement was reached, when a 24-team format might take effect, or whether the handshake agreement has been finalized in a formal contract.

The reported plan links two issues: expanding the playoff field and addressing the financial effects of removing conference title games. The available information does not explain how those games would be eliminated, whether all major conferences would be affected in the same way, or what role ESPN would have beyond being a party to the agreement.

The agreement is described as moving college football closer to a 24-team playoff, but no final format or implementation timeline was provided. It is also unclear from the information available whether additional approvals are required before the plan can proceed. The College Football Playoff and ESPN did not provide statements in the trend summary, and no direct quotations were included.

For now, the reported handshake agreement signals progress toward a larger playoff while leaving key terms unresolved in the information provided. The financial amounts, the conferences involved and the next steps have not been specified.

Story summarized from the original created by EDDIE PELLS, Associated Press on www.kxnet.com, see more information here.

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