College Football Playoff format for future seasons still up in the air, per report
The College Football Playoff selection process for a 12-team format was confirmed on Tuesday, but that format could have a short shelf life.
The CFP Board of Managers confirmed Tuesday that the new 12-team format will utilize a 5+7 selection process. In that model, the 5 highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids, and the 4 highest-ranked conference champions will receive the first 4 seeds and first-round byes.
The rest of the field will come from the next 7 highest-ranked teams. Teams seeded 5 through 12 will face off in first-round games at the home stadium of the highest-ranked team in the matchup.
However, The Athletic is reporting that the format is currently only agreed upon through the end of the current contract. That contract runs through the end of the 2025 season, and everything in 2026 and beyond is reportedly up for debate.
The Athletic is also reporting that the SEC is expected to push for no automatic berths included in the selection process for 2026 and beyond while it’s unclear if the Big Ten would join that push. It’s also a possibility that the Big Ten suggests reconsidering bracket sizes and looking at a 16-team field.
The CFP’s Management Committee will meet in Dallas on Wednesday to discuss future issues. At the same time, The Athletic reports ESPN executives “are growing impatient” over a potential agreement on the media rights for the Playoff that has not been signed off on by the commissioners and presidents in charge of the CFP.
CFP approved 5+ 7 format for ’24 and ’25.
’26 and beyond remains completely up in the air.
SEC is expected to push for no automatic berths. Will Big Ten join in?
Meetings this week could become “cutthroat and contentious,” sources tell @TheAthletic.https://t.co/xk8fcJn60z
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 20, 2024
While fans have some clarity on the immediate plans for the Playoff, it looks like the future is still clouded in questions with college football in the middle of more upheaval.