Indiana: Playoff expansion will not only mean more teams in the field and the end…
Indiana · USCWith each of those conferences expanding to nine-game conference schedules, teams must find one Power Four non-conference opponent to add to their schedules to qualify for College Football Playoff consideration. The majority of teams already hit that mark, but it will force a handful of programs to scramble over the coming months to adjust their 2027 schedules (and beyond) to meet that new requirement.
A handful of teams are currently saved by the Oregon State and Washington State rule. For now, Oregon State and Washington State still count as P4 teams after the old Pac-12 abandoned them, and that will continue in 2027, sources told CBS Sports' Richard Johnson.
Ole Miss plays the Beavers, and Washington , Arizona and Kansas all get the Cougars in 2027. The 24-team College Football Playoff requires Power Four teams to play 10 Power Four opponents, which puts a few teams in a bind for 2027
The Notre Dame inclusion (along with various in-state rivalries with SEC foes) means the entire ACC is compliant thanks to their scheduling alliance with the Irish, but a handful of Big Ten and Big 12 teams have some work to do. The Hoosiers again have a light non-conference slate scheduled for 2027, but will have to drop one of their currently scheduled games to meet the new requirement.
KEY POINTS
- Playoff expansion will not only mean more teams in the field and the end of conference championship games, but also have a massive impact on the schedule going forward.
- Each team now has two bye weeks each season, but will need to make the most of that extra week off because teams in the Power Four will now have to play 10 Power Four opponents (or Notre Dame ) on their schedules.
- After months of chatter, the College Football Playoff officially announced on Monday its move to 24 teams beginning in 2027, along with all the changes that would accompany it.
- Oregon's non-conference slate for 2027 is Eastern Washington , Coastal Carolina and Western Kentucky, but one of those will have to get changed for Dan Lanning's squad to be eligible for the playoff.