Leaders of the College Football Playoff on Tuesday agreed to open a 30-day negotiating window with ESPN, signaling their greatest interest yet in a 24-team CFP field that could begin as soon as 2027. While those within the room insist this is not a commitment to a 24-team field at this time, the move indicates the Big Ten and SEC now agree it's worth discussing with ESPN to evaluate the value of expansion. The CFP stated this step does not represent a decision but an opportunity to gather information to help determine a path forward, with updates to follow.

The negotiating window could start as soon as Wednesday and will assess whether a 24-team field generates enough revenue to offset lost conference championship game income. Power 4 conference championship games have at least $200 million in media value, not including ticket and sponsorship revenue. The season would begin on Week 0 and end on Thanksgiving weekend, with the Army-Navy game potentially moving to the following Saturday.

The Big Ten and SEC must agree on the format by Dec. 1 for changes to take effect next season, per their memorandum of understanding. If no deal is reached in 30 days, the CFP can shop the additional 10 games to the open market, though ESPN retains matching rights. ESPN currently holds rights to the 11-game playoff and has exclusive first negotiation rights for any expansion beyond 14 teams.

The CFP must initiate the negotiation window—not ESPN. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said his preference for a media partner in a 24-team field is 'whomever's committed to making it work,' while SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said he is open to consideration but not committed. The 24-team format would include the 23 best teams and one Group of 6 spot, with no automatic qualifiers and byes for the top eight teams.