Expanding the College Football Playoff field has been a hot topic of conversation heading into the 2022 season.

It now appears the sport is heading in that direction sooner than later.

The College Football Playoff’s Board of Managers voted on Friday to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams in 2026. According to multiple reports, the board is encouraging commissioners to implement the new format as early as 2024.

The CFB Board of Managers, which voted unanimously on expansion, is made up of 11 members, including university presidents and chancellors. The board has approved a 12-team CFP model, which would consist of the six highest-ranked conference champions, and six at-large teams, per ESPN.

CFP executive director Bill Hancock previously stated that the playoff would not expand before the end of its current contract, which is scheduled to expire at the end of the 2025 season.

It is now up to the CFP Management Committee to oversee implementation of the 12-team format. The committee is scheduled meet on Thursday in Irving, Texas.

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