The cat is out of the bag, and it's official - the College Football Playoff will be turning into a 24-team bracket (from a 12-team one) in the coming years. For the Kentucky Wildcats, that's likely music to their ears. The playoff will expand starting with the 2027-28 season, and with a $1.7 billion deal, ESPN will be the exclusive broadcast partner.
That said, if the college football season were to end today, the Cats would easily be in a 24-team bracket, and there's a good chance they'd even be in a 12-team one. However, getting in and going far are completely different beasts.
The Athletic looked at what the Cats' route might look like in the expanded bracket, and it would start with an SEC foe. Columnist Scott Dochterman broke down the bracket and detailed
what the pathway for each side would be.
For Kentucky, it would open with the Missouri Tigers, a battle that fans will get to see next weekend. The Cats would then face the Texas Longhorns, and that would certainly be a winnable game as well. Then, they'd likely get a rematch with the Alabama Crimson Tide. That would be a challenge for Will Stein and his squad, but Kentucky was up on Alabama at the half earlier this season. It can hang with the Crimson Tide. After that, it's just a guessing game with Miami and Utah, respectively No. 7 and No. 2, on the docket next for Kentucky.
With the current format, it still feels like destiny is in the Cats' hands.
Making the playoffs is pretty simple for Kentucky now. Win out.
— Wyatt Huff (@Wildcat_wave) November 8, 2026
Florida
at Missouri
Louisville
Not sure 9-3 gets you in
A 3-game winning streak that starts this Saturday against Florida might get you into the final 12, and with how the CFP committee ranked them this past Tuesday, there's a good chance they'd be selected. If Stein continues to rise in stardom, expect the Cats to start being a mainstay in the College Football Playoff.
This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Who the Kentucky Wildcats would face in a 24-team playoff
