ROSEMONT, Ill. – The decision-makers behind whether the College Football Playoff expands or not are comfortable with staying at the current 12-team format.

During the CCA meetings at the Big Ten’s headquarters in Chicago, the College Football Playoff management committee, consisting of the 10 FBS commissioners alongside Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua, did not delve deeply into discussions regarding the format ahead of a looming December 1 deadline, according to CFP Executive Director Rich Clark.

Clark stated that the committee allocated roughly 20 minutes of a lengthy meeting exceeding four hours to the much-anticipated topic. There are no significant group meetings planned before the December 1 deadline, and currently, there seems to be no urgency to schedule one, leading to a solid status quo concerning the 12-team format for 2026.

“My sense is the room’s comfortable with (staying at 12) if that’s where we go and that’s probably why they’re not too pressed with rushing to a decision,” Clark said. “If they can find time to have a discussion and make a decision, they want to have that opportunity. So if we end up staying at 12 we are talking about next year, so we have time to implement all the way up through (Dec. 1) and then we’ll know what it is at that point.”

This position is echoed by others, such as SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, who indicated that change isn’t necessary without a consensus on a future format.

While significant discussions surrounding the future format continue, with possibilities such as the Big Ten’s proposed expansion to 24 or 28 teams, Clark mentions that the smaller groups of commissioners have yet to explore the specifics deeply. Recently, both the SEC and ACC agreed to nine conference games, a move that the Big Ten supported in earlier format discussions.

The conclusion is clear: Should they fail to find the time to meet before December 1, the 12-team playoff format will remain unchanged for 2026.