4 non-Power 4 teams that could crash College Football Playoff in 2026-27

One of the greatest aspects about the 12-team College Football Playoff is that it features a guaranteed bid for non-power conference team every year. 

In the last two years of the CFP, we've seen the likes of smaller schools in Boise State, James Madison and Tulane earn bids. Although a non-power team has never won a CFP game, it is incredibly cool to see smaller schools represented on the sport's biggest stage every year. 

So, which non-power schools are the favorites to earn bids during the 2026 season? Let's take a look and see which schools have the best shot.

Which non-power school can crash the CFP this year?    

UNLV Rebels

There's been a lot of talk recently about whether or not Florida made a mistake in moving on from Dan Mullen in 2021. Even Coach Mullen himself threw shade at Florida not doing well since his firing. 

Depending on how Jon Sumrall does during his first season at Florida, that talk will get a lot louder this season. Mullen and the Rebels should have a breakthrough year. That's assuming UNLV's No. 1 quarterback position gets settled, as Mullen will split reps between former five-star Jackson Arnold and former Michigan quarterback Alex Orji in Week 1.

The Rebels also bring back leading rusher Jai'Den Thomas from last season, who had 985 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. UNLV added several transfer portal receivers in Troy Stellato from Kentucky, Amorion Walker from Middle Tennessee State and tight end Keyan Burnett from Arizona. But Taeshaun Lyons, who had three receiving touchdowns, is also back.

Defensively, the Rebels will have to improve. UNLV finished 117th in total defense and gave up 28 points per game, good for 89th nationally. The unit should improve, as it returns four starters in Blesyng Alualu-Tuiolemotu, Tre Fulton, Mumu Bin-Wahad and Kamuela Ka'aihue.

UNLV won 10 games during Mullen's first season with the Rebels, falling a game short of playing for the Mountain West title.

Mullen brought Florida to an SEC title game in his third season with the Gators, and he'll get to a conference title game even quicker than that in Las Vegas this year.

MORE: Seven most compelling transfer quarterbacks

Boise State Broncos  

Former longtime MWC member Boise State moves to a revitalized, new-look Pac-12 this season. In the conference's rebirth, it features Oregon State and Washington State, joined by several MWC teams, Texas State and Gonzaga.

It'll be an interesting challenge for the Broncos, moving to a brand-new conference. But if how they did in the Mountain West is any indication, don't sleep on Boise State in 2026. The Broncos have won 17 conference championships in school history. Boise State played in nine conference title games in the MWC, winning six of them.

Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson enters his fourth season with the Broncos, and he has a 24-8 overall record. He has a ton of talent returning as well, including starting quarterback Maddux Madsen and leading rushers Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines.

Defensively, the Broncos return a talented linebacking corps featuring Boen Phillips, Jayden Virgin-Morgan and Jake Ripp.

Just how good Boise State is will be tested in Week 1, as the Broncos open the season on the road against No. 2 Oregon. Boise's remaining schedule includes tough road trips to Western Michigan and Fresno State, but the Broncos get South Dakota, Texas State, Oregon State and San Diego State at home.

Pac-12 After Dark could return with a lot of Boise playing great football, and I am here for it.

MORE: College football coach hot seat rankings | SN's 1-138 rankings

Navy Midshipmen

Navy moving on from longtime head coach Ken Niumatalolo was a shock four years ago. But fifth-year head coach Brian Newberry has had back-to-back double-digit seasons, including an 11-2 finish just last season.

Navy can take a step forward and make it to the AAC title game this year. Although longtime quarterback Blake Horvath is gone, Braxton Woodson is expected to play well as a starter. He finished last season with 414 yards rushing on 44 carries with six touchdowns, averaging an impressive 9.4 yards per carry.

He only completed nine of his 19 attempts for 110 yards in the air last season. But coming in for Horvath in the fourth quarter, he led his team to a 41-38 victory against then-No. 24 USF, running for 103 yards and two touchdowns. The Midshipmen lost most of their running backs from last season, but Vic Listorti, Charles Robinson and Jackson Gutierrez should be able to step up.

Defensively, Navy returns six players from a unit that finished 54th in rush defense last season. Included in that group are all three of Navy's leading tacklers in MarcAnthony Parker, Giuseppe Sessi and Coleman Cauley.

Scheduling-wise, the Midshipmen do have to play No. 4 Notre Dame in Foxborough on Oct. 31. But a loss there won't hurt Navy's playoff chances. Navy should cruise through its conference schedule, with the Oct. 17 road trip to UTSA potentially being the only tough one.

The interesting part about Navy potentially being a playoff team is that its annual rivalry game against Army will have no impact on the Midshipmen's CFP standing. That's because Selection Sunday is one full week before Army-Navy. So even with a loss to Army, Navy still would earn a bid.

MORE: SN's 2026 Preseason All-America Team | All-America teams by decade

North Dakota State Bison

North Dakota State's journey to the FBS is one of the coolest stories in college football. The Bison have an FCS record 10 national championships in their storied history, and now will play under the brightest lights the program has been under thus far. 

NDSU, led by third-year head coach Tim Polasek, will play in the Mountain West Conference this year after paying a whopping $12.5 million conference entrance fee. Polasek has a 26-3 record, and led the Bison to a national title his first season as head coach in 2024. Last season, NDSU fell in the second round of the playoffs. 

While some drop-off might be expected as NDSU adjusts to the FBS, the Bison do well historically against FBS opponents. Since 2004, NDSU is 9-5 vs. FBS teams, with the last victory coming against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium in 2016. The Bison lost by just one score in FBS games against Arizona and Colorado in 2022 and 2024, respectively. 

At quarterback, NDSU has to replace Cole Payton, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. But Nathan Hayes is expected to play well as  a starter, throwing four touchdowns last year. The Bison also get back running backs DJ Scot and Cortez LeGrant.

On defense, North Dakota State returns leading tackler Donovan Woolen, who had 86 total tackles and three interceptions last year. Playing the MWC schedule might be a slight adjustment, and NDSU gets Air Force, UNLV, New Mexico, Hawaii and San Jose State on the road.  

NDSU making CFP noise during its first-ever season inside the  FBS might sound like a fairytale. But the Bison will be eager to prove they are that good in 2026.  

Ranking every college football team from 1-138 ahead of 2026 season