College football has finally made the move that not many fans wanted.

When the playoff expanded to four teams, it was great because you truly had to earn it, while it still allowed for bowl games to matter and have plenty of interest.

Even if you didn’t make the playoffs, getting to play in a New Year’s Six bowl mattered and defined a successful season.

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Yet, many felt like the playoffs needed to expand, and they went to 12 teams, which was fine. However, as we enter just the third year of the 12-team playoff, college football is set to expand to 24 teams starting in 2027.

The reason for 24 teams is simple: Money. It has nothing to do with growing the game or getting the best matchups; rather, fans should be prepared for the first two rounds to be blowouts.

There is no reason for 24 teams to be in the playoffs, as every year there are only about 5-8 teams that truly have a chance to win. It also ruins rivalry games, as losing to your rival at the end of the season could have no impact, especially if both teams are 10-1 or 9-2 going into that game.

To make the playoffs, you should have to go 10-2 at worst, but even then, you should have some punishment for losing. In a 24-team playoff, you will see an 8-4 Michigan make the playoffs that has no reason to be in the playoffs.

So, the reason for the expansion is simple. Get more Big Ten and SEC teams into the playoffs to make more money from TV ratings, and it’s not about growing the game, as they will say.

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By having more playoff games, they can sell higher commercial packages for TV games, instead of bowl games, which lost relevance in the transfer portal era.

As part of the playoff expansion, conference championship games will be gone, which is also bad news for college football fans.

Instead of seeing the likes of Georgia vs. Alabama or Ohio State vs. Indiana to determine who gets a bye, fans can now look forward to a 9-3 team playing an 8-4 team in the first round of the playoffs instead.

The system will be set up to feature 19 at-large teams and an auto bid for the top Power Four and Group of Six champions.

No matter what the College Football Playoff Committee says, the reason for the 24-team expansion is solely about money and nothing else.

How would the 24-team bracket look?

Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; A detailed view of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal logo before the 2025 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Mississippi Rebels at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; A detailed view of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal logo before the 2025 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Mississippi Rebels at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

To show how bad the playoffs would be, based on the AP Top-25, here is how the playoff would shake out right now.

First round:

Game 1: No. 17 Iowa at No. 16 Mississippi State
Game 2: No. 24 SMU at No. 9 Ole Miss
Game 3: No. 20 Houston at No. 13 Missouri
Game 4: No. 21 Wake Forest at No. 12 UCLA
Game 5: No. 18 Oklahoma State at No. 15 Kentucky
Game 6: No. 23 Boise State at No. 10 Texas Tech
Game 7: No. 19 USC at No. 14 Tennessee
Game 8: No. 22 LSU at No. 11 Utah

Byes: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Texas, No. 8 BYU

Second round:

Game 9: Winner of No. 17 Iowa/No. 18 Miss State at No. 1 Georgia
Game 10: Winner of No. 9 Ole Miss/No. 24 SMU at No. 8 BYU
Game 11: Winner of No. 13 Missouri/ No. 20 Houston at No. 4 Ohio State
Game 12: Winner of No. 12 UCLA/No. 21 Wake Forest at No. 5 Indiana
Game 13: Winner of No. 15 Kentucky/No. 18 Oklahoma State at No. 2 Notre Dame
Game 14: Winner of No. 10 Texas Tech/No. 23 Boise State at No. 7 Texas
Game 15: Winner of No. 14 Tennessee/No. 19 USC at No. 3 Miami
Game 16: Winner of No. 11 Utah/No. 22 LSU at No. 6 Alabama

Losing games in college football no longer matters, and now, after having arguably the greatest and most important regular season in sports, college football ruined it all for money and greed.

Sure, there will be more playoff games on campuses, which is good, but the fact that you could see multiple 8-4 teams be in the playoffs is a joke, and it shows it’s all about getting more TV money.

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More College Football News

  • Alabama Crimson Tide faces must-win game against Tennessee
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  • Ohio State Buckeyes poised to make statement win over Indiana Hoosiers
  • Notre Dame Fighting Irish finally have true test to see if they’re title contenders

This story was originally published by Lindy's Sports on Oct 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindy's Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Source: Yahoo Sports