Notre Dame and the rest of CFB will have some positives and negatives that come from the 24-team playoff expansion
The College Football Playoff appears headed toward 24 teams for the 2027 season. What does that change mean for Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish?
College football is about to go through another major change, and Notre Dame football will feel it. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Thursday that the College Football Playoff is trending toward a 24-team expansion for the 2027 season, barring any last-minute setbacks.
The sport is still working through its first years of the 12-team format after jumping from four. Now it appears 24 is on the horizon, and the turnaround would be quick. That shift will impact Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish in several ways.
The format change is not the only news on the Notre Dame side. Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger also reported on the scheduling ramifications for the Irish:
“More on the scheduling: Notre Dame is expected to increase its frequency of playing SEC and Big Ten programs as part of the 24-team expansion.
“Irish AD Pete Bevacqua, a former TV executive, was a central figure in negotiations with ESPN over the last several weeks.”
Why the College Football Playoff is expanding again
Thamel also reported that the leftover inventory from the 24-team College Football Playoff will go to ESPN. ESPN’s biggest partner is the SEC. You can do the math on why this expansion is happening.
There has been plenty of debate in recent years over whether a two-loss SEC team deserved a spot in the field. I understand some of that conversation, and there is legitimacy to wanting the best teams included.
However, I think 24 teams is way too many. As a college football purist, I would argue 12 is too many in most seasons.
Some will say this gives underdogs more of an opportunity to compete. Does it, though? What proof do we have from the 12-team era that those teams are pulling upsets?
If you ask me, this expansion isn’t for Boise State, James Madison, or North Dakota State. It is for whichever team out of Alabama, Georgia, or LSU loses two or three games in a season. This is a power move to get as many SEC and Big Ten programs into the field as possible, and the underdog narrative doesn’t hold up.
I don’t believe 24 teams have a chance to win a national championship in any given season. The transfer portal and NIL have leveled the playing field to a degree, but not that much. We already see too many blowouts in the current format.
Adding more lower-ranked teams to the bracket isn’t going to fix that.
What it means for Notre Dame
From a pure access standpoint, this is great news for the Irish. It is already relatively easy for Notre Dame to make the field. With 24 teams, the Irish will get in 99% of the time unless they have a catastrophic season.
Even a rough stretch like the 2025 season, when Notre Dame lost to Miami and Texas A&M, would no longer spark a debate. A 10-2 season is a lock in a 24-team field. Of course, I would argue that if Notre Dame needs that type of cushion to get in, it probably isn’t good enough to win a national championship. That is a conversation for another day.
The real positive comes from Dellenger’s reporting on the schedule. More SEC and Big Ten opponents is a win for Notre Dame in two ways.
First, as a fan, I want to see the Irish play good teams. I am a big believer in competitive anxiety. Those tooth-and-nail games that go back and forth until the final whistle are the best part of college football. A tougher slate also helps on the recruiting trail. Freeman and his staff can sell prospects on playing the best of the best, coast to coast.
Second, it shuts down a tired narrative. There is an outside perception that Notre Dame plays a cupcake schedule every year. That isn’t true, but it is annoying how often that claim needs to be refuted. With more SEC and Big Ten programs on the slate, it becomes impossible to argue.
The verdict on a 24-team field
One thing is clear: this expansion benefits the power conferences and their television partners, not the little guys. I don’t favor a 24-team playoff, and I don’t think it makes the sport better.
For Notre Dame, though, the outcome isn’t all bad. Making the field gets even easier, and the Irish now have the opportunity to schedule tougher opponents and put the cupcake narrative to rest for good.
