The College Football Playoff will undergo more changes for the 2025 season, with the highest 4 seeds within the 12-team discipline being the highest 4 ranked groups as an alternative of the 4 highest-ranked convention championship sport winners.
The unique construction of the 12-team playoff led to a wonky seeding course of. Boise State and Arizona State obtained first-round byes. Oregon, the one undefeated crew getting into the CFP, obtained a bum draw and needed to play Ohio State within the quarterfinals. That mannequin wasn’t nice and penalized the top-seeded crew quite than rewarding them. We need to keep away from that.
Nonetheless, there are nonetheless some points with the up to date format. As an example, Texas and Penn State would’ve obtained first-round byes within the CFP final season even after dropping of their respective convention championship video games. By doing that, it might’ve felt like Oregon and Georgia did not acquire an actual benefit by successful their convention title video games. So, the CFP has devalued convention championship video games by going to the straight seeding mannequin, significantly the 2 strongest conferences within the nation.
I actually do not just like the considered devaluing convention championship video games, which ought to be crucial and have penalties. One strategy to probably work round it underneath the straight seeding format could be to do away with the bracket format and basically reseed after every spherical. It’s totally potential that the highest 4 seeds within the 2025 CFP would be the 4 groups that play within the Big Ten and SEC championship video games, so there must be a strategy to work round that for this upcoming season.
Let’s look past the 2025 season, although. There are nonetheless modifications that may doubtless be made to the CFP format in 2026 as we count on the sector to increase. Let’s dive into my ideas on the way forward for the CFP right here.
Will the CFP transfer to a 16-team format in 2026, and in that case, what is going to it appear to be?
It appears doubtless that the CFP will increase to at the very least 14 groups in 2026, however the newest information suggests {that a} 16-team CFP is on the desk as properly. There are a pair of various potential fashions for the 16-team CFP format.
The primary is:
- Huge Ten: 4 automated bids
- SEC: 4 automated bids
- ACC: Three automated bids
- Huge 12: Three automated bids
- Group of 5: One automated bid
- Notre Dame/at-large: One automated bid
The opposite mannequin is:
- Huge Ten: 4 automated bids
- SEC: 4 automated bids
- ACC: Two automated bids
- Huge 12: Two automated bids
- Group of 5: One automated bid
- Notre Dame/at-large: Three automated bids
The Huge Ten and SEC are pushing the growth of the CFP discipline in an effort to get automated qualifiers. The second mannequin appears to be the one which’s on the desk. That second mannequin would enable the Huge Ten and SEC to probably get greater than 4 groups within the CFP.
What’s fascinating about their mannequin for the 16-team CFP is that the four-lowest ranked groups would face one another within the opening spherical. The Thirteenth-seeded crew would tackle the Sixteenth-seeded crew, whereas the 14th and Fifteenth-seeded groups would go head-to-head. The winners of these video games would advance to the remainder of the bracket, and we’d basically have an NFL-style format with the highest two groups getting byes into the quarterfinals.
I feel there are some holes in that mannequin, however you are attempting to go from a selection-based mannequin to an access-based mannequin. This mannequin would transfer away from a range committee to an automated qualifying mannequin.
School Soccer Playoff is transferring to a straight seeding mannequin for the 2025 season
How would convention championship sport weekend be impacted by a 14-team or 16-team playoff?
Within the Huge Ten and the SEC, these conferences would have an expanded convention championship sport weekend. Three video games could be performed to assist decide the 4 automated qualifiers from every convention. The highest two groups record-wise (No. 1 vs. No. 2) would nonetheless go head-to-head within the conventional convention championship sport, with each groups incomes automated spots within the CFP, however you’d have a sport between the third- and sixth-place groups, together with a sport between the fourth- and fifth-place groups.
Here is what that will’ve regarded like within the Huge Ten final season:
- No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 2 Penn State (impartial web site sport)
- No. 6 Illinois at No. 3 Indiana
- No. 5 Iowa at No. 4 Ohio State
Here is what that will’ve regarded like within the SEC final season:
- No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Georgia (impartial web site sport)
- No. 6 South Carolina at No. 3 Tennessee
- No. 5 LSU at No. 4 Alabama
The winners of the Huge Ten and SEC championship video games would virtually actually get the highest two seeds and a bye to the quarterfinals each season. So, successful that sport could be an enormous benefit, even when the loser continues to be assured a spot within the CFP. Some would possibly push again on the concept that one sport might derail the postseason destiny of one of many high groups on this situation (resembling Iowa upsetting Ohio State), however I would not have a lot sympathy for the loser in these video games. These groups would’ve had all the season to attempt to get into their convention championship sport. Within the case of an upset, the higher crew would’ve misplaced that sport at dwelling.
I am not solely certain what the ACC and Big 12 convention championship weekend would appear to be on this format. If each conferences solely get two automated qualifiers, would they’ve two matchups (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3) or would they solely have one matchup (No. 1 vs. No. 2 or No. 1 mechanically advances, and you’ve got No. 2 vs. No. 3 for the opposite spot) for convention championship sport weekend.
How would I arrange the 16-team discipline?
I like the concept of the No. 13-16 seeds taking part in one another within the opening spherical of the CFP in the course of the weekend of the Army–Navy sport. Nonetheless, I might tinker round with the format past that spherical. As talked about earlier, the CFP ought to go to a seeding mannequin quite than a bracket mannequin. Profitable your convention championship, significantly within the Huge Ten or SEC, would actually matter in a seeding mannequin quite than the bracket mannequin. When you’re the highest total seed, you’ll get to play the bottom remaining seed within the quarterfinals and the semifinals (for those who make it that far).
I might additionally put the quarterfinals video games on campus. We’re nonetheless uncertain the place the situation can be for a few of these video games within the 16-team playoff, however the first two rounds would virtually actually be performed on campus. After hanging out with the Huge Ten coaches on the convention’s spring conferences in Los Angeles final week, most of them need quarterfinals video games performed on campus.
These coaches are proper to really feel that means. We noticed how advantageous that was within the CFP final season. We additionally noticed the distinctive benefit that groups who play in chilly climate obtained, with the Tennessee-Ohio State sport being a major instance. On high of that, these neutral-site video games are sometimes performed exterior the Huge Ten’s footprint, so higher-seeded Huge Ten groups would lose home-field benefit and be put at an obstacle by way of journey. Enjoying quarterfinals video games on campus would additionally additional incentivize the highest two seeds. To me, it is a no-brainer.
Is the 16-team format format?
Why is the 16-team format on the desk to start with? The Huge Ten and SEC desire a security web. Bear in mind how I discussed earlier that the second proposal for the 16-team format appears more likely to be the one which passes? That is as a result of the Huge Ten and SEC really feel like they should not be giving up additional spots to the ACC and Huge 12 as a result of they are not powerful or deep sufficient to get a 3rd automated qualifier.
Frankly, I agree that the Huge Ten and SEC are a lot harder conferences than the ACC and Huge 12. Nonetheless, these added additional at-large bids created by the second proposal are pointless and grasping. That is why I do not just like the 16-team mannequin. We do not must be redundant.
That is why CFP growth ought to solely go to 14 groups, with this being the best format:
- Huge Ten: 4 automated bids
- SEC: 4 automated bids
- ACC: Two automated bids
- Huge 12: Two automated bids
- Group of 5: One automated bid
- Notre Dame/at-large: One automated bid
That is all we’d like. We do not want a fifth crew from the Huge Ten or SEC as a result of they have already got entry to make the CFP via the convention championship sport weekend. They’ve additionally already had a complete season to get into their convention championship sport. What number of extra alternatives do these groups must make the CFP?
You are not simply entering into the greed zone with the 16-team format, however you are additionally permitting the committee to have a big affect once more. The committee within the 16-team format situation might get to decide on the three at-large groups as an alternative of letting the automated qualifiers decide the sector. Due to that, we would doubtless see groups lighten their non-conference schedule. In truth, it appears increasingly more doubtless that Notre Dame and USC will cease taking part in yearly. What are we doing?
If you concentrate on it, the CFP might basically be a 24-team playoff with the expanded convention championship sport weekend, and extra video games in November would even have main penalties as properly.
Now, the main subject with my format is that Notre Dame would get the expanded convention championship weekend off and won’t must play that additional sport to make the CFP. To counteract that, Notre Dame would play that weekend if it is ranked within the high 14 and would tackle the highest-ranked crew that is not taking part in in its expanded convention championship sport weekend. That may be an amazing addition to the faculty soccer schedule.
I do not love what’s being proposed with the 16-team format. I need an access-based CFP that additionally maximizes the worth of the common season, which a 14-team CFP would accomplish.
Joel Klatt is FOX Sports activities’ lead school soccer sport analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Observe him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.
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