The Atlantic Coast Conference is making a bold move in the ongoing College Football Playoff expansion debate, with its coaches and athletic directors throwing their unanimous support behind a 24-team model—a proposal that could reshape the postseason landscape and put the SEC squarely in the hot seat.
During a joint meeting Tuesday at the ACC's spring meetings near Jacksonville, league leaders voiced full backing for doubling the current playoff field. Sources tell CBS Sports an official endorsement from the conference could arrive soon, aligning the ACC with the Big Ten and Big 12 in pushing for a larger bracket.
"The Big 12 likes 24, subject to doing the work and figuring out the economics," commissioner Brett Yormark told CBS Sports on Tuesday, signaling growing momentum behind the expanded format first proposed by the Big Ten last year.
The push comes just weeks after the American Football Coaches Association publicly advocated for a 24-team field, and following a White House presidential committee meeting where conference commissioners—minus the SEC's Greg Sankey—expressed interest in the larger model. For fans dreaming of more March Madness-style chaos on the gridiron, this could be the first step toward a playoff system that includes more teams than ever before.
But the road to 24 is far from smooth. The SEC has remained publicly committed to a 12- or 16-team format, and with the Big Ten and SEC holding controlling interest in the CFP's future, any expansion decision requires unity between college football's two most powerful conferences. The two sides clashed during expansion talks last summer and fall, ultimately keeping the playoff at 12 teams for the 2026-27 season.
For athletic directors and commissioners, the biggest hurdle is financial. A 24-team format would likely eliminate conference championship games, and with them, the broadcast revenue they generate. The ACC is expected to present revenue projections for the larger field to its athletic directors on Wednesday, sources said, as leagues scramble to replace lost income with new playoff dollars.
"I don't love those things going away," admitted Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, referencing the potential end of conference title games, "but I don't see any other path forward, because, again, you've got to shorten the season. You've got to move it up."
That sentiment echoes concerns raised by FBS coaches at the AFCA meetings, who cited the length of the season and the long layoffs facing playoff teams as key issues. With the SEC's spring meetings set to begin May 26, all eyes will be on the league's athletic directors, coaches, and university presidents to see if they're ready to join the 24-team train—or if they'll dig in their heels.