Five Highest-Ranked Conference Champions Guaranteed Access; Seeding to Match Final Selection Committee Ranking
Ohio State celebrates after their win against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
IRVING, Texas – The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee, comprised of the 10 FBS conference commissioners and the Director of Athletics at the University of Notre Dame, today voted unanimously to modify the seeding and bye policies of the 12-team Playoff for the 2025-26 season.
The new policy will guarantee the five highest-ranked conference champions a place in the Playoff, but will no longer include a bye for the four highest-ranked champions. The 12-team bracket will now be seeded directly based on the final ranking of the CFP Selection Committee, with the four highest-ranked teams receiving a first-round bye. If one or more of the five highest-ranked conference champions are ranked outside the top 12, that team or teams would move up to the 12th seed, 11th seed, etc., based on the number of conference champions outside the top 12.
“After evaluating the first year of the 12-team Playoff, the CFP Management Committee felt it was in the best interest of the game to make this adjustment,” said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. “This change will continue to allow guaranteed access to the Playoff by rewarding teams for winning their conference championship, but it will also allow us to construct a postseason bracket that recognizes the best performance on the field during the entire regular season.”
All other operational policies will remain the same for the 2025-26 season:
· The ranking of the teams will continue to be done by a selection committee.
· The teams ranked Nos. 5-12 will play in the CFP First Round with the higher seeds hosting the lower seeds either on campus or at other sites designated by the higher-seeded institution (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 9 at No. 8.).
· The four highest-ranked teams will be assigned to Playoff Quarterfinals bowls on Selection Day in ranking order and in consideration of current contract bowl relationships (for example: if the highest-ranked team is from the Big Ten, that team would be assigned to the Rose Bowl Game).
· The No. 1 seed would receive preferential placement based on geography for the Playoff Semifinal site assignment.
As announced in April, the 2025-26 College Football Playoff schedule includes the Playoff Quarterfinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Wednesday, December 31, followed by a New Year’s Day tripleheader of Playoff Quarterfinal games: the Capital One Orange Bowl, the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Winners of those contests will advance to the Playoff Semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, January 8 and the Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday, January 9. The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship will take place at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Further details, including Playoff First Round dates and times, will be announced later this year.
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