College football apparently looked at its 12-team playoff, decided that wasn't nearly enough, and is now seriously considering doubling the entire thing.

Because why settle for 12 teams when you can have 24?

The College Football Playoff and ESPN are continuing negotiations over a proposed 24-team postseason after their exclusive 30-day negotiating window expired Friday, October 9.

The CFP confirmed Saturday that discussions remain ongoing, but no agreement has been announced.

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And despite all the talk about providing more opportunities for deserving programs, the biggest obstacle appears to be exactly what you'd expect.

Money.

Specifically, whether expanding the playoff can generate enough additional television revenue to justify eliminating conference championship games and completely restructuring college football's postseason.

That's a pretty significant decision.

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And it raises a legitimate question about whether college football is actually improving its product or simply trying to squeeze more revenue out of something that's already working.

We Just Expanded the Playoff
Here's what makes this entire discussion somewhat ridiculous.

College football expanded from four playoff teams to 12 in 2024.

That wasn't exactly a minor adjustment.

The sport went from a system where four programs received invitations to one where conference champions and additional contenders could compete for a national championship.

The expanded format gave more schools an opportunity, created additional meaningful games, and provided fans with postseason matchups that previously wouldn't have existed.

Now, just two years later, conference commissioners are seriously discussing doubling the field again.

Twenty-four teams.

Under one proposal reported by CBS Sports, the format would feature 23 at-large selections and one guaranteed spot for a Group of Six program.

That proposal has not been approved.

But think about what it would mean.

Conference championships might no longer guarantee a playoff appearance, depending on the final selection structure.

And the regular season would inevitably become less consequential for programs that could lose multiple games and still comfortably qualify.

That's not necessarily good for college football.

One of the things that makes the sport special is that regular-season games carry enormous weight.

Lose the wrong game in October, and your championship aspirations can take a serious hit.

That's part of the appeal.

A 24-team playoff would give more programs an opportunity, which is certainly a legitimate argument for expansion.

But it would also change the stakes of the regular season.

And that's something fans should consider before automatically celebrating more postseason football.

Conference Championship Games Could Disappear
Perhaps the most consequential part of the proposal involves conference championship games.

According to reporting from CBS Sports and the Associated Press, eliminating those games is being considered as part of the restructuring necessary to accommodate a 24-team playoff.

That would represent a massive change.

The SEC Championship Game has become one of the biggest annual events in college football.

The Big Ten Championship Game carries enormous significance.

Other conferences use their championship games to determine league winners and establish postseason credentials.

Those games aren't meaningless exhibitions.

They're part of college football's identity.

But expanding the playoff to 24 teams creates scheduling challenges, particularly if the sport wants to avoid extending the season even further.

So the solution being discussed is to eliminate conference championships and replace them with additional playoff games.

That's certainly one way to do it.

But it also means sacrificing established traditions to accommodate a larger postseason.

And once again, the motivation appears heavily tied to television revenue.

ESPN Already Has a Massive Investment
ESPN's existing playoff agreement is worth $7.8 billion over six seasons, according to the Associated Press.

That's an enormous financial commitment.

Now the CFP wants to add more games, potentially eliminate conference championships, and negotiate an additional media rights package.

There's just one problem.

The money from those eliminated conference championship games doesn't magically disappear from the financial equation.

Conferences currently generate substantial revenue from those events.

If they're eliminated, the expanded playoff needs to replace that lost income before the conferences see meaningful financial benefits.

CBS Sports reported that negotiations have included a proposed additional rights package exceeding $320 million annually.

That figure is a reported negotiating estimate, not an agreed price.

And ESPN apparently isn't rushing to write another enormous check.

The exclusive negotiating window has ended without a deal, although discussions continue.

If the parties cannot reach an agreement, the CFP could explore additional television partners.

That's where things could become even more complicated.

College football already has games scattered across numerous networks and streaming platforms.

A larger playoff with multiple television partners could make the viewing experience even more fragmented.

Fans might get more games, but that doesn't automatically mean they'll get a better product.

What About the Players?
There's another part of this discussion that deserves attention.

The players.

College football has already undergone enormous changes involving NIL, revenue sharing, eligibility rules, transfer regulations, and the professionalization of college athletics.

Now the sport is considering a postseason structure that could add more games to the schedules of teams making deep playoff runs.

That's additional preparation, additional travel, and additional physical wear.

It's reasonable to ask whether the athletes are being adequately considered in these discussions.

Yes, players increasingly receive compensation.

But that doesn't mean every decision should be made based entirely on television revenue.

At some point, somebody should probably ask whether the sport is trying to accomplish too much.

More Football Isn't Automatically Better Football
Look, I love college football.

Most fans would happily watch meaningful games every weekend of the year.

But there's a difference between creating more meaningful football and simply creating more football.

A 24-team playoff could provide opportunities for programs that have historically been excluded from national championship consideration.

That's a legitimate benefit.

It could also produce entertaining matchups and give fans from more schools a reason to remain invested deep into the season.

But those benefits have to be weighed against what the sport might lose.

Conference championships.

Regular-season urgency.

Traditional rivalries that carry national championship implications.

And potentially, a postseason that becomes so large it starts looking more like an extended television tournament than a championship competition.

The CFP faces a December 1 deadline to finalize changes for the following season.

There's still time to make a reasonable decision.

But college football's leadership should remember something.

The sport became enormously popular long before anybody thought a 24-team playoff was necessary.

More money and more games might sound appealing.

That doesn't automatically make them better.

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