Jason Batacao
Ryan MillerBYU and Utah, welcome to the College Football Playoff.
The College Football Playoff is nearing an agreement to expand the postseason to 24 teams in 2027, according to multiple reports.
And that should swing the door wide open for the Cougars and Utes to get into the field.
Here’s how it’s expected to break down: The field is expected to be made up of four guaranteed Power 4 spots, one guaranteed Group of 6 spot and 19 at-large spots.
That should render more bites at the apple for the Big 12, including BYU and Utah.
In short, if the Utes and Cougars are ranked No. 23 or higher in the final College Football Playoff rankings, they’ll most likely be playing for the national championship.
And both programs have been ranked that high plenty of times since the rankings debuted in 2014.
First, let’s look at Utah.
The Utes have been a mainstay in the rankings for the past 12 years. They even hold the unwanted distinction of being ranked the most weeks (51) without making the tournament.
But what if the field had always been 24 teams? If that had been the case, Utah would have been included in the CFP eight times — including the very first Playoff, when the Utes would have just snuck in at No. 22.
Utah also would have made it in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2025.
BYU would have had its fair share of appearances, too.
It took a little time for Kalani Sitake to establish his culture in Provo, but the Cougars have recently been one of the more consistent teams in the country.
The Cougars have finished in the top 20 four times in the Sitake era: 2020, 2021, 2024 and 2025.
But BYU and Utah may not have to wait for expansion to make the Playoff. The No. 8 Cougars and No. 11 Utes are both undefeated midway through the season.
BYU has a chance to really increase its Playoff odds with a win this week against No. 2 Notre Dame.
And the Cougars will have at least one Utah man rooting for them.
“The better the Big 12 is, the better it is for us,” Utah head coach Morgan Scalley told SiriusXM. “It would be dumb for me to want teams to just tank and lose because it would be a disadvantage for us. I want everyone to be as good as they can be when we play them, so if we win that’s better for us. ... It’s a big one for them Saturday against Notre Dame.”
And soon, both the Cougars and Utes might be playing big ones in December. This year — and beyond.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Utes head coach Morgan Scalley watches his athletes before the game between the Utah Utes and the Kansas Jayhawks at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.
Utah’s final CFP ranking
2014 (8-4): Finished No. 22
2015 (9-3): Finished No. 22
2016 (8-4): Finished No. 19
2017 (6-6): Unranked
2018 (9-4): Finished No. 17
2019 (11-2): Finished No. 11
2020 (3-2): Unranked
2021 (10-3): Finished No. 11
2022 (10-3): Finished No. 10
2023 (8-4): Unranked
2024 (5-7): Unranked
2025 (11-2): Finished No. 15
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake watches during the game between the BYU Cougars and the Iowa State Cyclones in Provo on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
BYU’s final CFP ranking
2014 (8-4): Unranked
2015 (9-3): Unranked
2016 (8-4): Unranked
2017 (4-9): Unranked
2018 (6-6): Unranked
2019 (6-6): Unranked
2020 (10-1): Finished No. 16
2021 (10-2): Finished No. 13
2022 (7-5): Unranked
2023 (5-7): Unranked
2024 (10-2): Finished No. 17
2025 (11-2): Finished No. 12
