Let’s face it, it is going to be difficult to get the Illinois football program in contention to compete for a national championship.
The Illini claim five national championships, with the most recent coming 18 years before the 1969 moon landing. That 1951 title was a special moment for the program, but if you are younger than 80 years old, you don’t remember it.
Illinois needs to make new memories of chasing a national championship. On Monday afternoon, chasing a national championship became a more realistic venture.
The College Football Playoff released the news that starting in 2027, so next season, the postseason tournament will go from 12 teams to 24 teams.
OFFICIAL: CFP to Expand to 24 Teams Starting with the 2027-28 College Football Season; Announces Exclusive Media Rights Agreement with ESPN to Televise New CFP Games through the 2031-32 Season
— CFP (@CFBPlayoff) November 9, 2026
Full news release and fact sheet » https://t.co/duBPAfukQy
I realize that the majority opinion on this topic is negative. There are a lot of people who don’t want the College Football Playoff to expand. For me, I love it.
I want the expansion because it gives Illinois a realistic chance to play in the College Football Playoff. We have never even sniffed the 12-team playoff, but making a 24-team playoff is a very real possibility.
Just two seasons ago, Illinois was 9-3 overall, and we finished the 2024 season ranked No. 20 in the College Football Playoff rankings. This would have punched our ticket to play for a national championship, something I thought nearly impossible in my lifetime.
The Illinois football path in the 2024 College Football Playoff would have been intriguing
It would have been fun to see the Illini compete for a national championship, regardless of whether we won any games or not.
In 2024, Illinois would have entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 20 team, and we would have traveled down to Hard Rock Stadium to take on Miami.
If the 24-team #CFP was in place for the 2024-25 season, the bracket would've looked like this 👀🏆 pic.twitter.com/WlLp0W0Pwy
— CFP (@CFBPlayoff) November 9, 2026
This would have been a great game. The Hurricanes had Heisman Trophy contender Cam Ward at quarterback. He would have gone up against Illinois’ defense, which only gave up 23.5 points per game that season.
Miami was giving up 26.7 points per game that season. They would have gone up against a talented Illini offense that featured Luke Altmyer and NFL wide receiver Pat Bryant.
Without the expanded College Football Playoff, we never got this matchup. This goes beyond just one season, though.
Let’s take this season, for example. If the College Football Playoff were 24 teams, Illinois would still be in the hunt. At 6-3, we have three games left. Finishing 9-3 would get us into the new playoff format. It makes these games mean even more.
I understand the fans of teams like Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, etc. not wanting to expand. They are always going to be considered for the tournament. For teams like Illinois, the expansion of the College Football Playoff brings something we haven't had in my lifetime. National championship hope.
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