Getty Images The enhanced College Football Playoff is set to kick off this Sunday as the CFP Committee gets ready to reveal the 12-team bracket. This marks the inaugural occasion for viewers to witness the completed process, and it’s bound to spark some debate. The most significant alteration from the previous four-team format revolves around […]
The enhanced College Football Playoff is set to kick off this Sunday as the CFP Committee gets ready to reveal the 12-team bracket. This marks the inaugural occasion for viewers to witness the completed process, and it’s bound to spark some debate.
The most significant alteration from the previous four-team format revolves around automatic bids. In the past, claiming a championship was seen as a considerable advantage. Now, five conference champions are assured a place in the CFP, with the top four of them securing a first-round bye. Furthermore, first-round matches will occur at the home fields of the higher-ranked teams.
With numerous modifications, we’re lifting the veil and detailing how the new 12-team format will operate. The field for the 2024-25 College Football Playoff will be announced at noon ET on Sunday. Here’s how it will be organized.
Understanding the 12-team bracket
Step 1: Rank the top 25
The initial step remains unchanged from prior seasons. Once again, the CFP Committee will rank the top 25 teams in the nation. The selection criteria encompass strength of schedule, head-to-head results, comparative outcomes of mutual opponents, and other pertinent factors. This phase is consistent in both the four- and 12-team formats.
Step 2: Seed the teams
When the CFP Rankings are finalized, the committee will proceed to seed the bracket. They will first recognize the top four conference champions, which serve as the top four seeds, irrespective of the teams’ rankings.
Following that, the CFP Committee will fill seeds 5-12 based on the most highly-ranked remaining teams. One of the seeds must be allocated to the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion. If that team is positioned lower than No. 12, it will take the 12-seed.
Step 3: Form the bracket
The top four seeds earn byes into the quarterfinals, while teams ranked 5-12 compete in first-round matches at the home stadiums of the higher seeds. Subsequent rounds will be hosted at bowl venues. The 1-seed will challenge the winner of the 8/9 game, the 2-seed will face the 7/10 matchup, and so forth.
A team participating in the first round must secure four victories in the College Football Playoff to win the national title. Teams enjoying a first-round bye only have to triumph in three matches.
This is how the bracket will appear.
College Football Playoff
Common Questions
Can Notre Dame secure a first-round bye?
No, Notre Dame is indefinitely disqualified from obtaining a first-round bye or a top-four seed since the program cannot clinch a conference title. The highest position Notre Dame can achieve is the 5-seed as the premier at-large selection. Former Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick contributed to the working group that created the format. The Irish are at ease with this arrangement.
Can the No. 12 team be excluded?
Yes, a top 12 team in the rankings is not assured entry into the playoff. Indeed, if several conference champions exist outside the top 12 rankings, multiple teams finishing in the top 12 could be omitted.
Are there automatic bids for conferences?
No, there are no designated automatic bids tied to conference affiliation or based on being part of a power conference. If the top five conference champions arise solely from the Group of Five, that’s how it will stand. For instance, in 2020, the Pac-12 champion USC fell behind Sun Belt champion Coastal Carolina and AAC champion Cincinnati in the rankings. In that event, the conference would have been entirely excluded from the field.
Is reseeding an option?
No. The bracket remains fixed once the CFP Committee finalizes it.
When will the College Football Playoff games occur?
- First round: Dec. 20-21 at home campuses
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 2025
- Semifinals: Jan. 9-10, 2025
- CFP National Championship: Jan. 20, 2025
Does the Army-Navy game factor into the CFP?
No. Since the game is played after selection day, it will not be considered by the CFP Committee. Both institutions and the AAC have agreed to this stipulation.
How are venues chosen?
The first round will occur at the home venue of the higher-ranked team. Schools retain the option to shift home games to neutral locations if desired. Bowl locations will be selected considering traditional bowl affiliations, followed by ranking considerations. For example, if the Sugar Bowl is set to host a Playoff Quarterfinal and the SEC champion is ranked No. 1 while the Big 12 champion ranks No. 3, the SEC champion will be assigned to the Sugar Bowl while the Big 12 champion will be placed elsewhere.
