Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher: College Football Playoff Should Be At Least 12 Teams

Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher is a proponent for the expansion of the College Football Playoffs entering 2026.

Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher got right to the point when speaking of College Football Playoff expansion Sunday afternoon at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention in San Antonio. He's a fan of adding more teams and isn't sold that eight is enough. 

“I think it’s got to be at least 12 (teams), but I wouldn’t be against 16,” Fisher said. 

The College Football Playoffs began in 2014 with the intent of having the four highest-ranked teams play for a national title. Since then, conversations have sparked that the CFP should expand to at least eight teams, allowing all Power 5 conference champions have an automatic bid while three other teams will receive at-large bids. 

As it stands, the CFP will not move from its current four-team playoff until the contract expires following the 2025 season. Fisher believes that with conference realignment changing the landscape of college football, the committee will have to expand to benefit the television rights within each conference. 

“They are not going to give more content for the same amount of money," Fisher said. "When that contract goes up in ’25, you watch the playoffs go to 12 or 16 teams.”  

In the past two seasons, two Texas schools have fallen just short of making the College Football Playoffs due to the current format. A&M finished No, 5 in the rankings during the 2020 season after going on a seven-game win streak to close out the year and finish 8-1. 

Last year, Baylor won the Big 12 title over Oklahoma State and finished No. 7 behind Notre Dame and Ohio State. In 2014, both Baylor and TCU would have made the inaugural CFP should the format have been eight teams. 

As co-Big 12 champions, the Bears finished No. 5 in the rankings while the Horned Frogs were one spot back. 

“There are more teams that can make those runs and can be Cinderella so to speak,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “I think it is coming. I think there’s been enough talk (about playoff expansion) that the next time it comes around it will happen.”

Fisher compared the CFP to other collegiate tournaments such as March Madness and the NCAA baseball tournament. Last season, Ole Miss ended up being the final team to make the tournament before winning the College World Series over Oklahoma. 

"If you had 12 or 16 teams going into the playoff, you're going to have 25 or 30 teams at the end of the year to have a chance," Fisher said. "The excitement around college football, the excitement around the games and the different levels of ball and getting all the people in the playoff ... it would be incredibly exciting." 

The Aggies will face Sam Houston State at Kyle Field on Sept. 3. 

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