College Football Playoff format reportedly changing to highest-ranked teams
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One year after the inaugural season of the 12-team College Football Playoff, another change in playoff format is taking place.
Beginning next season, the four highest-ranked teams will receive the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff (CFP) and a first-round bye, ESPN reported on Thursday. This decision was made by the CFP management committee during a call on Thursday afternoon.
Last season, the top-four ranked conference winners received a top-four seed and a subsequent first-round bye. Now, the top-four ranked teams overall will claim the top-four seeds, as opposed to having to win a conference; independent Notre Dame, which made the playoffs last season as an at-large bid, can now claim a first-round bye.
The top-five ranked conference champions will still earn a playoff bid, however.
“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,” executive director of the College Football Playoff, Rich Clark, said in a statement. “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.”
Oregon (Big Ten), Georgia (SEC), Boise State (Mountain West) and Arizona State (Big 12) were the top four seeds in last season’s playoffs, as they each won their respective conference. All four teams failed to win a playoff game, with each of them losing in the quarterfinal round.
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The Ohio State Buckeyes, who were an at-large bid, won last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship, as they took down Notre Dame, 34-23.
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