COLUMBUS — The College Football Playoff (CFP) management committee agreed to change its seeding format for this season.
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The new policy will no longer reserve byes for conference champions and instead have the seeds match the committee’s rankings, according to a CFP spokesperson.
The 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director voted unanimously on Thursday.
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The new changes will guarantee the five highest-ranked conference champions a place in the playoffs. It will not include a bye.
“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,” said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. “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.”
The Associated Press reports that the change was widely expected after byes were given to Big 12 champion Arizona State and Mountain West champion Boise State. The playoff selection committee ranked them 12th and ninth.
The 2025 CFP begins Dec. 19 on the campuses of the teams ranked 5-8.
All quarterfinal and semifinal games will be at neutral sites, ending with the title game on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium outside Miami.
Ohio State won the 2024 College Football Playoff, beating Notre Dame, 34-23, on Jan. 20.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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