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The College Football Playoff officially announced a move to a 24-team format beginning in 2027, introducing sweeping changes that include two bye weeks per season and the elimination of conference championship games. Under the new regulations, Power Four conference teams and Notre Dame will be required to play 10 Power Four opponents on their schedules to remain eligible for playoff consideration.
New Scheduling Requirements
Because each major conference is expanding to a nine-game conference schedule, teams must secure one Power Four non-conference opponent to meet the new threshold. While most programs already hit this mark, the regulation leaves a handful of schools scrambling to adjust their 2027 schedules and beyond. A specific carve-out by the CFP allows Oregon State and Washington State to temporarily count as Power Four opponents for the 2027 season, saving several teams that are scheduled to play them.
Teams Needing 2027 Schedule Adjustments
Indiana holds a light non-conference slate for 2027 and must drop one of its currently scheduled games against Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, or Indiana State to make room for a qualifying opponent. Oregon faces a similar dilemma, needing to swap one matchup from its non-conference lineup of Eastern Washington, Coastal Carolina, and Western Kentucky. USC currently features only two locked-in non-conference games against UNLV and Nevada, and the pause in its traditional Notre Dame series leaves an open date that must be filled by a Power Four opponent. Texas Tech has yet to complete its 12th game, currently featuring Arkansas-Pine Bluff and New Mexico, and must add a Power Four matchup. Missouri is scheduled to play Illinois State, San Diego State, and FAU in non-conference play and must find a replacement. Nebraska’s lineup featuring Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, and Northern Iowa does not meet the standard, requiring Matt Rhule’s program to alter its slate. Finally, TCU currently holds Alcorn State, North Texas, and Sam Houston on its 2027 schedule and must swap in a new opponent.
Past Compliance Issues
As reported by CBS Sports, only two teams currently ranked in the top 25 would have failed to meet the 10-opponent requirement during the 2026 season: Indiana and USC. Indiana’s non-conference approach has included matchups against North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky, forcing Curt Cignetti to alter his scheduling philosophy for future years. USC opened its season with three Group of Six opponents—San Jose State, Fresno State, and Louisiana—and lacked a 10th Power Four opponent due to the temporary pause in the Notre Dame rivalry, which is scheduled to resume in 2030.
