Earning a bye in the College Football Playoff just became much more difficult for Group of Five teams.
CFP executives unanimously voted to move to straight seeding for the 2025 College Football Playoff. That means the highest-ranked four teams will receive byes, not necessarily the highest-ranked conference champions as was the case before.
Here’s what that means for the 2025 season and beyond.
New College Football Playoff Format
The five highest-ranked conference champions and the next-highest ranked seven teams will still make the College Football Playoff field. However, where they end up in the bracket could end up looking different.
For example, Arizona State had the No. 4 seed in the CFP bracket and an automatic bye last season. The Sun Devils were ranked No. 12 overall, but they were the fourth-highest ranked conference champion after winning the Big 12.
If this new format had applied last season, Arizona State would’ve been the 11th overall seed. The Sun Devils would’ve been ahead of only Clemson, which made the field as the 16th-highest ranked team after winning the ACC.
Oregon and Georgia were Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, after winning the Big Ten and SEC. Those seedings wouldn’t have changed. But Texas, which was No. 3 in the rankings but got the No. 5 seed, as well as Penn State, which was No. 4 in the rankings but No. 6 in the seedings, would’ve received first-round byes.
Proponents of this rule change argue the highest-ranked teams should be rewarded. However, some argue for more incentive for teams to win their respective conferences. For example, Arizona State was on the bubble at No. 12 in the CFP rankings going into the Big 12 Championship. If the Sun Devils had lost that extra game, they might’ve fallen out of the CFP picture. SMU lost the ACC title game but squeezed into the CFP field with the last at-large bid.
Why Was The New CFP Format Unanimously Approved?
This change could negatively impact teams in any conference except for the Big Ten and SEC. As mentioned, those two leagues would’ve had all four byes if this had been the setup in 2024.
However, Yahoo Sports reported the four highest-ranked champions earned $8 million each last year, with $4 million being from making the field and $4 million being from making the quarterfinals. But in a compromise for 2025, those four conference champs will still earn $8 million each even if they don’t earn the top four seeds and the byes.
Simply, the SEC and Big Ten are also in control when it comes to many CFP decisions.
SEC and Big Ten leaders have reportedly thought about leaving the CFP if they didn’t receive more revenue from the tournament, which they now have 58% of, and decision-making power regarding the future of the CFP.
College Football Playoff In 2026 & Beyond
This exact format has yet to be approved for the 2026 season, meaning the CFP could go back to the old format – which seems unlikely – or officials go in a new direction altogether.
Yahoo Sports reported the Big Ten and SEC are in favor of a 16-team format with those two conferences earning four automatic bids, the Big 12 and ACC receiving two automatic bids each, the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion earning a spot, and the last three berths being at-large bids.
What Does The New CFP Format Mean For The G5?
During the 2024 season, Boise State had the third-highest ranked conference champion after winning the Mountain West and going 11-1 during the regular season. The Broncos earned that spot while being ranked No. 9 overall.
Some have pointed to that example – Boise State lost to Penn State 34-14 in the Fiesta Bowl in the CFP quarterfinals – as a reason why a G5 program shouldn’t automatically have a bye regardless of rankings or why a G5 team should be in the field at all.
But that argument doesn’t hold much weight. That contest was close until the end, and above all else, every team with a bye in last year’s CFP lost in the quarterfinals. In fact, No. 1-ranked Oregon lost in the most lopsided game in the quarterfinals, 41-21 against Ohio State.
However, it may still be difficult for G5 teams to climb up to the fourth-highest spot. Generally teams from the Group of Five don’t start the season ranked very highly, and if any of those teams lose even once during conference play, they drop further in those rankings than if a P4 team were to lose in October. And it’s much harder for G5 teams to climb back up even if they do only have a loss or two during the regular season.
It’s not impossible for a great G5 team to rise up the rankings, especially with a tough non-conference slate, but the margin for error is very small.
