By Zion Murray
The College Football Playoff is reportedly considering an expansion to 24 teams in 2027, and while the idea could create more opportunities for programs across the country, it could also take away some of what makes college football special.
The sport’s greatest strength has always been that every Saturday matters. A loss in September could haunt a team in November, and a season-defining upset could end dreams of hoisting the trophy in the air. Expanding the playoff to 24 teams risks making regular-season games less meaningful.
If a team can lose 3 or 4 games and still make the playoffs, the incentive of treating every regular-season matchup with urgency and importance is gone. When an unranked Auburn upsets No. 1 Georgia or an unranked Florida upsets No. 7 Texas, those results should have real consequences for the playoff picture. A regular-season loss would not carry the same weight it once did.
If nearly a quarter of FBS programs can make the playoff, the difference between a great season and a decent one also becomes less significant. Teams that spend the entire year proving they belong among the nation’s best could end up facing opponents that finished fifth in their conference.
This proposed expansion could also remove an important part of college football that has been around for decades. A 24-team playoff format would likely eliminate conference championships, massively changing the game fans have fallen in love with while removing the opportunity for teams to prove they are the best in their conference.
Although the proposed expansion of the College Football Playoff comes with many negatives, individual teams such as Tennessee would stand to benefit. The Volunteers play in the SEC, a conference that regularly features several national championship contenders. Tennessee often has to navigate a challenging schedule just to remain in the conversation, but a larger playoff would give the Vols more room for error.
Under a 24-team format, Tennessee could potentially lose multiple games against quality SEC opponents and still earn an at-large bid. While consistently facing teams like Georgia and Alabama, Tennessee would not necessarily need to finish atop the conference standings to have a chance at a national title.
When the College Football Playoff expanded from 4 teams to 12, one of the biggest benefits for teams outside the traditional favorites was that they had a higher chance of competing for a national championship. Teams no longer had to be among the 4 best in the country to keep their championship hopes alive. Now, with a potential 24-team field, that opportunity could double, giving more programs a chance to turn consistent success into a legitimate playoff run.
For Tennessee, that could be a game-changer. Head coach Josh Heupel has helped establish the Volunteers as a consistent presence in the national rankings, putting the program in position for 9-3 and 10-2 seasons. Under a 24-team format, those records would make Tennessee a near-annual playoff contender. Instead of needing everything to go right, Heupel’s teams could have a much wider margin for error.
Although an expansion to 24 teams would mean more football for fans and more teams competing for a national title, the sport could lose some of the excitement that makes Saturdays so entertaining. For the Volunteers, the benefits are easier to see, as they could have more opportunities to reach the playoffs.
While the expansion is only proposed and not set in stone yet, the idea comes with plenty of question marks that need to be answered, as well as issues that need to be addressed. However, if the change happens in 2027, the Tennessee Volunteers could be one of the programs best positioned to take advantage.