FOX Sports CEO Supports 24-Team College Football Playoff Expansion

A 24-team College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion model is gaining traction, with key advocates like FOX Sports CEO Eric Shanks and Big Ten Conference leaders supporting the idea to increase automatic qualifiers from power conferences and enhance postseason competition. The proposed format would allocate four automatic bids each to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC, two total bids to other conferences, and six at-large selections, reducing committee discretion and promoting clearer access paths. Games in the first two rounds would be hosted by the higher-seeded teams, boosting on-campus CFP games, which analysts like Joel Klatt favor for increasing regular season stakes and fan engagement. This format would keep more teams competitive longer in the season, as seen with teams like USC and Illinois still vying for playoff spots despite several losses. Meanwhile, the Illinois High School Association is considering expanding its football playoffs from 36 to 48 teams and restructuring scheduling, though past proposals have failed, showing a parallel interest in expanding playoff opportunities at the prep level. The push for expansion also aligns with FOX Sports' desire to enter the CFP broadcast market, currently dominated by ESPN, by increasing the number of games available for media rights.