Is Kalani Sitake for or against the College Football Playoff expanding to 24 teams next year?

Coverage from multiple outlets indicates that the College Football Playoff is set to expand to 24 teams beginning next year, a move that appears to render traditional conference championship games obsolete. FOX8 WGHP reports that the ACC Championship Game will no longer exist after 2027 amid this expansion, while Sports Illustrated states that the SEC Championship is being removed next year. These reports suggest a fundamental restructuring of the postseason landscape, with the two power conferences' title games among the first casualties of the new format. The Deseret News frames the development around BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, questioning whether he supports or opposes the expansion, though the coverage does not specify his stated position.

The three outlets approach the story from different angles. FOX8 WGHP focuses on the ACC's specific timeline, noting the championship game's discontinuation after the 2027 season. Sports Illustrated leads with the SEC Championship's removal next year, using "Breaking News" framing that suggests immediacy. The Deseret News centers the narrative on Sitake, a prominent coach whose program recently joined the Big 12, making his perspective relevant to a conference navigating the same playoff-driven changes. None of the headlines quote Sitake directly or detail the playoff's new structure, such as automatic qualifiers or seeding mechanisms.

Context for this shift includes years of debate over playoff expansion beyond the current four-team model, which moved to 12 teams for the 2024 season. Conference championship games have long served as de facto playoff elimination rounds, generating significant revenue and television inventory for leagues and their media partners. Their removal would alter scheduling, revenue distribution, and the regular season's stakes for programs across the FBS. The coverage does not explain whether other conferences plan similar moves or how the 24-team bracket will accommodate conference champions versus at-large selections.

What to watch next includes any formal announcement from the College Football Playoff management committee or conference commissioners confirming the 24-team format and the fate of championship games. Sitake's public comments, if offered, could signal how Group of Five and newer Power Four members view the trade-offs. The coverage does not indicate a timeline for further details, leaving open whether the 2027 ACC deadline and the SEC's "next year" removal reflect a coordinated rollout or conference-specific decisions.