CFP 2026 reshapes access and payouts with Notre Dame guarantee and auto-bids

The College Football Playoff will stay at 12 teams in 2026, but major changes are in place: each Power 4 conference champion and the top Group of 6 champion are guaranteed auto-bids, Notre Dame earns a spot if ranked in the top 12, and revenue is redistributed so the Big Ten and SEC each pull about 29% of the pot while the ACC gets ~17%, the Big 12 ~15%, and the Group of 6 ~9% (per-school figures: >$21M for Big Ten/SEC, ~$13M for ACC, ~$12M for Big 12, ~$1.8M for Group of 6; Oregon State and Washington State life add-ons of about $3.6M each). Notre Dame’s payout would exceed $12M annually plus a $6M bonus when invited. There are no performance bonuses, and the framework follows a 2024 memorandum of understanding, with expansion beyond 12 still a possibility for the future.