The College Football Playoff resolved a few of its thorny issues Friday — including how to deal with Notre Dame — but left the toughest one unresolved, staying at 12 teams for next year and failing to expand the postseason to 16 or more.

The College Football Playoff will remain at 12 teams for the 2026 season after the Big Ten and SEC could not agree on an expansion plan.

Conference leaders couldn’t agree on future formats with the Big Ten favoring 24 teams and the SEC pushing a 16-team model leaving the College Football Playoff structure unchanged for 2026 as power conferences continue negotiations over long-term expansion.

The College Football Playoff will remain at 12 teams in 2026, the CFP Management Committee announced on Friday, after the Big Ten and the SEC failed to reach a resolution regarding any future formats. The Big Ten prefers a 24-team field with multiple automatic qualifiers per conference while the SEC is partial to a 16-team "5+11" format.

Despite discussions about expanding to 16 or more teams, the College Football Playoff is staying at 12 teams for 2026.