The College Football Playoff is expanding to 24 teams in 2027, which could give Texas A&M a wider path to the postseason and a better opportunity to host a playoff game at Kyle Field in College Station.
The most immediate impact for the Aggies is a better opportunity to reach the playoff. For example, when Texas A&M finished 11-1 and ranked No. 7 in the final CFP rankings, they would have earned a first-round bye under the new format, then hosted a second-round contest at Kyle Field.
It also increases the margin of error for teams during the regular season, which is also one of its potential downfalls. When asked recently about the playoff expansion, head coach Mike Elko expressed concern that the 24-team playoff would make the regular season mean
less.
"The thing that makes this sport really special is its regular season, the pageantry of the regular season, how important the weeks of the games are during the regular season," Elko said. "I just hope that we don't lose that as a college football fan," Elko said.
While it gives Texas A&M more opportunities to reach the playoff field and potentially host at Kyle Field, it also comes with several downsides. As Elko said in his October press conference, it diminishes the importance of the regular season tremendously. It also eliminates conference championships, which takes away the stakes of conference matchups throughout the year.
The expansion will also put more pressure on head coaches across the country, especially at programs with the means to reach the 24-team field like Texas A&M.
Here is the full format of how the 2027-28 CFP will look, according to the official announcement a couple of weeks ago:
How will the field look?
- The conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC (as determined by their respective conferences)
- The highest-ranked team from the American, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 or Sun Belt
- The 19 highest-ranked remaining teams in the CFP Selection Committee's final ranking
Seeding and first/second round scheduling:
- Seeds 1-8 will each earn a first-round bye and will each host a CFP Second Round game on their respective campuses
- Seeds 9-16 will each host a CFP First Round game on their respective campuses against seeds 17-24
- First and Second Round games will be played on the Thursday-Saturday of their respective weekend
Is it good for college football? That remains to be seen, but we will get a first-hand glimpse of how every team handles the new rules next season, including Elko and company in College Station.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: How will the 24-team CFP expansion impact Texas A&M?
