ATLANTA — Adjustments to the structure of the College Football Playoff for the upcoming season, including potential changes to the format of byes, are expected to be addressed later this year, likely in the spring, according to playoff officials.
A meeting took place among conference commissioners and university presidents just prior to the Ohio State-Notre Dame championship game, centering on issues connected to the inaugural season of the 12-team playoff and how to approach the transition into the next television contract set to commence in 2026.
Discussion about modifications for the 2025 season was not on the agenda, as any changes would require unanimous approval from the commissioners.
One area that is likely to see adjustments concerns the seeding of teams. Under the current system, the four highest-ranked conference champions automatically receive a bye, which resulted in teams like Arizona State from the Big 12 and Boise State from Mountain West surpassing other higher-ranked teams, although both were eliminated in their opening playoff matches.
“The management committee and our CFP staff are set to initiate these discussions,” remarked Mark Keenum, president of Mississippi State and chair of the CFP board of managers. “However, we did not engage in any conversation about hypothetical scenarios.”
The CFP is positioned to modify its seeding methodology within a year. In contrast, more significant changes related to the next media rights deal, worth $7.8 billion over six years with ESPN, will take longer and be more complicated.
One of the main topics under consideration is the possibility of expanding the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams and revisiting the allocation of automatic bids. Currently, the top five conferences are guaranteed one automatic entry each. Given their influence and resources, both the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten are anticipated to play critical roles in shaping future decisions.
Additionally, the fate of conference championship games may be impacted, especially as it’s becoming increasingly common for several teams from the same conference to qualify for the playoff.
This situation could also bring Notre Dame’s participation in the playoff back into focus. As stipulated in the upcoming contract, the leading independent program will earn $12 million for its involvement. However, even if the format remains unchanged, Notre Dame would be unable to secure a first-round bye due to its lack of a conference affiliation.
“Should there be substantial changes to title games, we need to thoroughly assess Notre Dame’s opportunity to claim a bye if we rank among the top four teams,” stated Pete Bevacqua, the athletic director for the Fighting Irish, just one day prior.
