Expanded College Football Playoff was a hit

ESPN pleased with 1st season of expanded College Football Playoff as it looks to the future
The 11 College Football Playoff games averaged 15.6 million viewers according to Nielsen, as audiences increased during each round.
Year 1 of the 12-team College Football Playoff is coming to a close. Was the expansion a success?
The CFP will never likely surpass the NFL in the attention economy, but the march through the first 12-team Playoff has been a positive one.
Why expanding the College Football Playoff worked – and what still needs to be fixed
Now that it’s all over and the Ohio State Buckeyes are the college football national champions, it can be definitively said: Expanding the College Football Playoff worked.
How to watch 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship for free
Fans looking to watch this championship football game can do so for free on fuboTV, which offers a free trial ( and $30 off your first month) or on DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV has promotional offers available, as well.
4 takeaways from the first year of the expanded College Football Playoff
Ohio State came out on top in the national championship on Monday, outlasting a late Notre Dame comeback push to win 34-23. The game brought an end to the first edition of the expanded College Football Playoff, which features 12 teams vying for the title instead of four.
Mandel’s Mailbag: Can Ohio State (or anyone) build a 12-team College Football Playoff dynasty?
Plus, more questions on whether the CFP format was a success, next year's rising teams and college football's longest season ever.
What we learned from the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff
Did it hurt the sport's regular season? Do rivalries still matter? Here's what Nicole Auerbach took away from the first year of the expanded CFP.
Five teams that could crash College Football Playoff party in 2025 include LSU, Alabama
Here are five teams that didn’t make the College Football Playoff this season that should be strong contenders for qualification next season.
Tipsheet: Expanded College Football Playoff was a hit, but more changes could come
The first 12-team College Football Playoff was a success, but power school athletic directors are mulling format tweaks.
Any College Football Playoff tweaks for 2025 won’t be hashed out until later this year
Any adjustments to the College Football Playoff for next season, including a potential tweak in the way byes are awarded, would have to take place later this year, probably in the spring, the leaders of the playoff said.
Projecting 2026 College Football Playoff
The college football season came to a close on Monday night as Ohio State defeated Notre Dame in the national championship game. This was the first year of the new 12-team College Football Playoff format,
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College Football Playoff bracket: Quarterfinals schedule and first round results
The four quarterfinal games will be played on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at the site of four traditional bowl games, with one game on Dec. 31 and three on Jan. 1. The semifinal games ...
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Did the first 12-team College Football Playoff work? Decision-makers to discuss these changes.
As the first 12-team College Football Playoff ends, leaders are discussing what to change in the future. Here are the main ...
Notre Dame won’t trade independent status for chance at College Football Playoff bye
Notre Dame showed this season why its comfortable staying independent — even if it has to play an extra game in its quest for ...
Lessons from inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff: Format is flawed, home environments provide boost
The Ohio State football program captured history with claiming the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship ...
College Football Playoff title game set for Las Vegas in Jan. 2027
Las Vegas will host the College Football Playoff national championship game at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 25, 2027.