Report: CFP leaders discussing 14-team model with multiple automatic qualifiers for Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC

College Football Playoff leaders have discussed a new 14-team model with multiple automatic qualifiers for power conferences, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported. The Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12 would each receive multiple automatic bids under the new-look format.

The Big Ten and SEC would both get three automatic bids under the proposed model while the ACC and Big 12 would each receive two bids. To round out the field, the Group of 5 would get one automatic qualifier and three teams would receive at-larges.

The proposal is “nowhere near finalized” nor is it the only option to come up during last week’s meeting, Dellenger reported. If the CFP undergoes any changes beyond the expansion to 12 teams coming this year, it wouldn’t begin until 2026.

Last week, the College Football Playoff announced it was tweaking its 12-team model, which is set to begin this coming season. When the CFP initially expanded, it was a “6+6” model with the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large teams making up the bracket. After a groundbreaking round of realignment – which saw the Pac-12 drop to two teams – the committee opted to make it the five highest-ranked conference champions with seven at-larges.

But a 14-team model was briefly discussed during a CFP Management Committee meeting. However, American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco told On3’s Eric Prisbell that a 14-team model is a “possibility for 2026 and beyond,” although the field will be 12 teams over the next two seasons.

“Fourteen teams was discussed – it is a possibility,” Aresco told Prisbell after the meetings wrapped up. “You have some large conferences with a lot of members, and there are a lot of marquee teams.”

CFP executive director Bill Hancock said another meeting is in the works – and soon – as the group works to meet its goal of being “done with this within a month.” The next steps include hammering out details of the CFP’s TV deal and commissioners talking to leaders on the campuses of schools in their leagues about the ideas discussed.

“Everybody rolled up their sleeves and said, ‘We need to get to work, and we need to share what’s on our minds,’” Hancock said. “And they all did. I mentioned 14 teams, but we also talked about four, and eight and 12 – and even 16 came up. It was just a productive day with a lot of good exchanges among the commissioners.”