The College Football Playoff is set to remain a four-team format through the 2025 season.
The administrators who manage the postseason failed to agree on a plan to expand before the current contracts run out.
The CFP management committee met by video conference earlier this week. Executive Director Bill Hancock says the committee decided to abandon efforts to implement a new 12-team format for the 2024 season.
They instead recommended staying with the current model to the presidents who oversee the playoff.
The Board of Managers accepted the recommendation and directed the commissioners to continue discussions on a new format to go into effect for the 2026 season.
College football has crowned an annual champion through a four-team playoff since 2014. The four teams are selected by a committee of experts comprised mainly of college administrators.
While most college football fans initially welcomed the CFP, it's since been criticized as being too limited. Throughout its history, CFP participants have largely been limited to schools in the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big XII, and, occasionally, the Pac 12 conferences. Critics say that even with an undefeated season, roughly half of Division I college football teams would likely not have a chance to compete for a championship.
2021 marked the first time that a team from outside those "Power 5" conferences qualified for the tournament. Cincinnati was selected as the CFP's fourth seed after an undefeated regular season and a win in the American Athletic Conference championship.
Previously, two teams were selected to play in a national championship game in a computer-based system called the Bowl Championship Series.
