CFP new playoff format, explained: What to know about updated seeding for college football

Daniel Mader

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CFP new playoff format, explained: What to know about updated seeding for college football image

Following the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, the bracket is undergoing another change.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported Thursday that the CFP will be adopting "straight seeding" moving forward, meaning the 12 teams will now be seeded directly based on the final rankings.

There will no longer be designated spots for the four conference champions.

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Here's what to know about the change to CFP seeding moving forward.

CFP new playoff format, explained

In the first edition of the 12-team College Football Playoff last season, the top four seeds in the bracket, which provided first-round byes, were reserved for the top-four conference champions. In 2024, that wound up being Oregon (Big Ten champion), Georgia (SEC champion), Boise State (Mountain West champion) and Arizona State (Big 12 champion).

Those seeding incentives for winning a conference championship will be no longer.

Dellenger, among others, reported Thursday that CFP executives "unanimously" adopted a move to the "straight seeding" format for the playoff. That means that moving forward, when the final CFP rankings are released, the 12 teams will automatically receive the seed of their ranking. Dellenger added that the decision was "expected to include a financial compromise" that still distributes $8 million between the top-four-ranked conference champions, even if they aren't seeded in the CFP top four, which will provide financial incentives to win a conference title.

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The change is expected to most directly affect conferences like the Big 12, ACC, etc., which don't always have the number of elite teams as the SEC and Big Ten. Because there's no automatic bid for conference champions, teams in less competitive conferences may not wind up making the CFP. It will also benefit Notre Dame, which isn't in a conference; the Fighting Irish are now eligible to earn a top-four seed. 

Dellenger added that the playoff format is expected to undergo more "significant change" in 2026, with officials from the Big Ten and SEC supporting a 16-team playoff. 

However, for the time being, there will be a 12-team playoff that no longer reserves the top-four seeds for conference champions.

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CFP bracket

If the new rule about conference champions and seeding had been introduced last year, the playoff would have looked a bit different.

In the original bracket, the top four spots were reserved for Oregon (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), Boise State (No. 3) and Arizona State (No. 4). With the level of competition differences between the Big Ten/SEC and other conferences, there were conversations over whether or not facing the Mountain West champion or Big 12 champion in Round 2 really posed a more significant challenge than Round 1.

Here's how the bracket looked last year before Ohio State emerged as the champion:

Under the new rule, there would have been a few key changes to the bracket. While Oregon and Georgia still would have been the top two seeds, Texas would have been the No. 3 seed and Penn State would have been the No. 4 seed, both receiving first-round byes. 

Arizona State, originally the No. 4 seed, would have fallen to No. 11 and a first-round matchup against the Buckeyes. And Boise State, originally the third seed as the Mountain West champion, would have been the No. 9 seed, traveling to face Indiana in the first round. 

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Here's how the full 2024 bracket would have looked under the new CFP rule:

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.