College Football Playoff Warned 24-Team Expansion Would Be 'Disgrace'

To the chagrin of many fans and analysts, the College Football Playoff could be set for another sizable expansion.

Support is reportedly growing to double the CFP bracket from 12 to 24 teams. Kevin Clark warned college football to resist that path.

The ESPN analyst vented against expansion efforts during Monday's The Paul Finebaum Show, via Awful Announcing.

"I think that college football should be run by people who like college football," Clark said. "And every decision, every idea I've seen about playoff expansion seems like it's come from people who don't like college football, don't know why we like it, and it's really starting to tick me off. A 24-team playoff would be a disgrace."

"It devalues the regular season"

The CFP field increased from four to 12 teams two years ago. Clark feels a dozen teams are already too many before adding a dozen more, which would rob regular-season games of some magnitude.

"Frankly, I think 12 is too big. I thought six was the perfect playoff size if you wanted to stop there, but we know that they can't help themselves," Clark said. "I get that. So 12, and if you have to in a decade, go to 16. Fine. But the idea of 24, the idea I've seen floated of 32, I just think it's ludicrous. It devalues the regular season."

Clark warned that the college football fans may face a "really rough decade" if decisions are made to benefit TV networks and athletic directors more than the sport. He believes it's vital to preserve the regular season's significance rather than trying to make the CFP a main attraction.

"I think the number one thing is making sure that we don't lose sight of why people like college football, and not lose sight of the fact that Oct. 15 and 22 and 29, those can be the best days on the sports calendar," Clark said. "It's not about the Playoff. It will never be about the Playoff. I don't think the Playoff will ever be the focal point of the sport in the same way March Madness is. I don't think that's ever gonna happen. But if you try to make it that, then you ruin the regular season and you ruin the sport."

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 10:36 AM.