After conference realignment, 16 team CFP model on cards as Power 4 brass officially meet

Last season was the first year after the recent conference realignment in college football. It was also the debut season for the new 12-team CFP model. The Ohio State Buckeyes emerged as the national champions under this playoff format.

According to CFB analyst Pete Thamel, the Power 4 commissioners met in New York on Thursday. In this meeting, sources close to Thamel stated that there is a push to remodel the 12-team CFP format to a 16-team playoff starting next year.

"With the Power 4 commissioners meeting today in New York, sources said there's continued focus on a 16-team CFP starting in 2026. 'I would say that 16 is becoming more preferred,' said an industry source. 'It seems like 16 may be the preferred number, but there's no format decision.'"

Ole Miss's Lane Kiffin is one of the head coaches who support a change to a 16-team playoff format. In April, NFL insider Dov Keliman reported that Kiffin believes that the current system is not ideal for selecting the best college programs to compete for a national title.

"The system doesn't have it right," he tweeted, as Kriffin said. "I don't think anybody, after watching the games, would say those are the best 12 teams in America. In my opinion, that's what it should be: You should be getting the best teams."

The Ole Miss Rebels missed out on qualifying for the playoffs last season. They ended their campaign with a 10-3 record and a Gator Bowl victory over Duke.

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Ross Dellenger provides update on future of CFP format

After the meeting on Thursday, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger came up with an update indicating that there might be a change from the 12-team model to a 16-team playoff format.

According to a tweet he shared on Friday, this change in the playoff format has received support from the Big Ten and the SEC.

"The four power conference commissioners held an in-person meeting in New York on Thursday to discuss several issues, including a future playoff format, sources tell @YahooSports. Big Ten & SEC- they control future format-continue to favor multile AQs for their conferences."

Dellenger also stated that if the CFP format shifts from 12-team to 16, then both the SEC and Big Ten will have four automatic bids in the playoffs, with the ACC and Big 12 having two bids each. A final decision on this matter is projected to come to fruition within the next few months.