The College Football Playoff's move to a 12-team field will be short-lived.
Starting in 2026, the CFP is expected to expand from 12 to 14 teams, per ESPN's Heather Dinich and Pete Thamel:
"The College Football Playoff is on the brink of moving one important step closer to an expected 14-team playoff that would begin in 2026, as the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame are pushing to meet a Friday deadline to agree to the next contract and inform the CFP if they will participate in the playoff in 2026 and beyond.
"Multiple sources told ESPN on Thursday that each league and Notre Dame are expected to sign a legal agreement by midday on Friday.