It’s official, folks.

The College Football Playoff will expand to a 24-team format starting in the 2027 season, adding 12 more games to the current CFP slate and forgoing conference championships.

The new format will obviously have major ramifications across college football, but what does it mean for Penn State?

Here are some of Penn State’s biggest winners and losers of the new 24-team playoff:

Winner: The Football Team Itself

This is the clearest winner in this new scenario. With an expanded format, Penn State, along with everyone else, has a better chance of making the playoff than it ever has.

While the Nittany Lions wouldn’t have made a case for an at-large bid this season, it’s a safe bet to say they will sometime in the next five years. Now the road is easier than ever.

Penn State’s biggest curse over the last decade was never winning “the big one”. That is, a win over Ohio State, Michigan, or any top-10 team on its schedule. This typically led to finishing the regular season at 11-1 or 10-2.

In past years, two losses might have been enough to squeak into the playoff. In the future, two losses should be more than enough to claim one of the 19 at-large bids. The Nittany Lions could also just win the Big Ten, something the new format has made easier by forgoing conference championship games.

Penn State now has a wider safety net for postseason success. And like any playoff in any sport, once you’re in, anything can happen, no matter the seed.

Winner: Beaver Stadium

An expanded field could mean more home playoff games for Beaver Stadium.

In the new format, teams seeded No. 9 through No. 16 host playoff games on campus. Seeds No. 1 through No. 8 get a first-round bye and then will host the second-round game at home as well.

More home games means more games at Beaver Stadium, potentially. More games at Beaver Stadium, especially playoff games, benefit just about everyone in or around University Park, including players, fans, coaches, stadium and team staff, and the university as a whole.

Winner: The Big Ten

The Big Ten, while taking some minor losses, comes away from the agreement an overall massive winner, especially financially.

The most obvious loss is the Big Ten Championship Game. The conference loses an incredibly prestigious end-of-season contest between two of its best. The Big Ten title game has long produced thrillers, such as Penn State’s 2016 comeback against Wisconsin.

However, the new format brings massive revenue gains that will largely offset the lack of a conference championship. As the Big Ten and SEC continue to dominate college football, they also hold the most negotiating power.

As part of the College Football Playoff agreement in 2024, the Big Ten secured 29% of the revenue pool for its member teams, which puts it in a fantastic position to benefit immensely from the new deal’s financials.

The conference could also see four to seven teams in the College Football Playoff every season. That’s four to seven teams getting the financial benefits that come with potential home playoff games and added nationally televised events.

Loser: Player Health

Player health and well-being are clear losers in the new format.

In sports such as basketball and baseball, leagues have shortened the regular season in favor of the playoffs. College football added a playoff extension, but the regular season remains the same length.

For teams that make the College Football Playoff in 2027 and onward, this means potentially more games in roughly the same timeframe, putting greater strain on players’ bodies, rest, and recovery.

With Penn State already dealing with its fair share of injury troubles, adding potentially multiple playoff games increases the likelihood of further health issues. It could also lead to shorter offseasons for players or different spring practice rules, changing the rate at which players develop.

Loser: The Regular Season

A byproduct of an easier playoff to make is the diminished value of regular-season games, especially for Penn State.

One of the charms of college football was the idea that every game could lead to elimination. During the four-team playoff, even just one loss could ruin a team’s playoff hopes. That changed with the 12-team format, but for some conferences, even a two-loss season meant elimination.

While the new format lets Penn State lose a few marquee matchups during the regular season, it also makes those regular-season games even less meaningful. If it doesn’t matter when you win or lose, does the game matter at all?

With much of the college football world struggling with attendance, it’s fair to wonder whether the problem will only get worse.

Loser: Penn State Basketball

Additional playoff games also mean longer seasons, at least for Penn State.

The college football season has been extended recently, and though talks of an improved schedule that shortened the season picked up some pace earlier this year, that is no longer feasible with a 24-team playoff. In 2026, the national title game is slated for January 25. It’s safe to assume college football will hover around that date for a long time.

While more college football is great, it also takes eyeballs away from college basketball at football schools like Penn State. The last thing the two Penn State basketball teams need is fewer eyeballs.

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