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Steve Beuerlein weighs in on potential CFP expansion: 'I like the idea of 16'

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/28/26brianjones_93

One of the biggest stories of the college football offseason is the potential College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion, and Steve Beuerlein has weighed in. On3 recently spoke to the former CBS Sports NFL and college football analyst (now works for Compass Media), and he said expanding the CFP to 16 teams makes sense.

“I hate it at 12, and I would hate it more at 24. So I like the idea of 16,” Steve Beuerlein told On3. “To me, 16 would be the perfect number. As a Notre Dame fan and supporter, I think getting a little bit beyond that 12 number eliminates any doubt.”

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Beuerlein is a Notre Dame fan and supporter because he played quarterback for the team from 1983 to 1986. He believes that if the CFP had 16 teams last year, the Fighting Irish would be in.

“Notre Dame deserved to be in it last year,” he said. “They had to choose between Alabama, Miami and Notre Dame. All three of those teams made legitimate arguments they should have been in. Going to 16 eliminates that kind of a situation from ever really happening again. If you get above 16, I think you start bringing in teams that don’t really deserve to be in that conversation because they can’t realistically say they can expect to win a national championship. So I think 16 is the way to go.”

Steve Beuerlein says 24-team CFP is ‘overkill’

The CFP expansion has been talked about since it went to 12 teams a couple of years ago. However, the conversation really picked up when the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) supported a 24-team playoff format.

When it comes to the Power Four conference in college football, the SEC has been the most vocal about not expanding to 24. However, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is on the same page as Beuerlein about expanding the CFP to 16 teams.

Ultimately, the CFP will expand; it’s just a matter of going to either 16 or 24 teams. Beuerlein explained why the playoffs should not jump to a 24-team format right now.

“If it goes to 24, I just think it just completely blows college football to a whole different realm,” he said. “Even combined with the NIL transfer portal and all the things that have changed the landscape for college football, I think a 24-team College Football Playoff is just overkill. It’s too much.”