The College Football Playoff management committee voted unanimously to expand the field from 12 to 24 teams starting with the 2027-28 season, and to keep it there through 2031-32. The format gives automatic bids to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, one place to the best team from the Group of Five conferences, and 19 at-large spots. Sixteen of the 23 games will be played on campus. ESPN signed a five-year, $1.7 billion deal, and the Big Ten will drop its championship game after this season.
Georgia is No. 1 in the Associated Press college football poll for week 11, followed by Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA. The Bulldogs moved up after Miami, the previous No. 1, lost its first game of the season, becoming the fourth team this year to hold the top spot and then lose it. UCLA is 9-0 for the first time since 1998 and sits fourth, with Indiana fifth, Alabama sixth and Texas seventh. Ohio State, ranked second in the preseason, fell to No. 21 after a 41-28 home loss to Oregon. The second College Football Playoff rankings of the season are due this week.
The College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams starting with the 2027 season under a five-year agreement with ESPN worth nearly $1.7 billion. The CFP management committee approved the change unanimously. The new format includes the four ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC champions, the highest-ranked team from the Group of Five conferences and 19 at-large teams. Sixteen playoff games will be played on campus. The deal keeps ESPN as the broadcast partner and eliminates the Power Four conference championship games, a change that had been a sticking point in negotiations. Sixteen of the games will be played on campus rather than at neutral sites.
The College Football Playoff will double to 24 teams starting next season, the playoff and ESPN announced on Monday. Power Four conference champions get automatic places, plus one for the best Group of Six team, and a selection committee picks the other 19. Conference championship games are dropped. ESPN pays an extra $1.7 billion over five years on top of its $7.8 billion contract, and its own executives admit they cannot be sure more places will help or hurt the regular season. Coaches and commissioners expect more December football and fewer meaningful September games. A 24-team field will also mean more December games for the schools that reach it.
Arsenal beat Hull City 1-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, with Noni Madueke again central to their attack. Leeds United defeated Tottenham Hotspur by the same score at Elland Road, while Fulham and Newcastle drew 1-1 at Craven Cottage. The results tighten the picture at both ends of the table as the season heads into the international break.
New Zealand beat Tonga 34-10 at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle on Saturday to reach their first men's Rugby League World Cup final since 2013. Kalyn Ponga started at fullback 23 days after breaking his arm, and the Kiwis pulled clear in the second half before Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad sealed the win with a converted try on the final play. They meet the winner of Sunday's second semifinal at Lang Park in Brisbane on November 15. The Kiwi Ferns also advanced, beating Fetu Samoa 32-0 for a seventh straight women's final. New Zealand last won the men's title in 2008, beating Australia 34-20 in Brisbane.
LIV Golf said it will wind down operations after failing to fund a relaunch, ending a five-year challenge to the PGA Tour. The league filed for Chapter 11 protection in September and told a New Jersey court that liquidation of remaining assets starts Monday. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund said in April it would stop financing after the 2026 season. Bryson DeChambeau has a DP World Tour place from 2027.
Formula 1 holds its 21st round of the season at Interlagos this weekend, the first race since Kimi Antonelli sealed the drivers' championship in Mexico at 20 years and 68 days old. The title is settled, but the constructors' championship and the race wins are not. Max Verstappen arrives after winning in Mexico City ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Interlagos runs a conventional weekend this year, with practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday, before the sprint format returns in 2027.
Miami is No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season, ahead of Georgia, Utah and Indiana, while the 8-0 Hurricanes are followed by an unusual top five that puts two-loss Alabama at fifth. The order differs sharply from the AP poll, where Notre Dame is fourth but the committee placed the Irish 11th. Committee chair Hunter Yurachek pointed to Alabama's wins over Kentucky and South Carolina to explain the gap with Tennessee, which beat the Tide by 16 points. Boise State is 12th and would travel to Alabama if the season ended today.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will undergo surgery on his right thumb and be placed on injured reserve after he was hurt on the team's first offensive play in a 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Coach Jesse Minter said he could not confirm whether the injury will end Jackson's season. Injured reserve means at least four games out, though a throwing-hand injury usually takes longer. The Ravens are 4-4 after Jackson already missed three games with an ankle injury. Baltimore now turns back to backup Tyler Huntley and a heavier running game, while the AFC playoff picture shifts for teams chasing a wild card.