With the College Football Playoff still in the midst of its first-ever 12-team postseason, many are already eyeing potential tweaks to the format.
Perhaps the most obvious change fans, media members and even teams would like to see is the elimination of the requirement that the top-four seeds — which each receive first-round byes — be conference champions.
The potential issues with the mandate that the top-four seeds be conference champions became apparent almost immediately, with Boise State and Arizona State each receiving first-round byes despite placing ninth and 12th, respectively, in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Both the Broncos and Sun Devils would lose as double-digit underdogs to Penn State and Texas, respectively, while the format also created a ripple effect that forced No. 1 seed Oregon to face an eighth-seeded Ohio State — which actually ranked sixth — in its first playoff matchup, with the Buckeyes blowing out the Ducks 41-21 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
Factor in Notre Dame’s victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and all four conference champions that received byes failed to advance past the quarterfinals.
But while the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy recently reported that there was already “momentum” for the College Football Playoff to eliminate its conference title prerequisite for the top-four seeds, actually doing so will ultimately prove easier said than done. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Friday, Heather Dinich noted that such a change would have to be approved by all involved stakeholders, including the conferences currently benefitting from the format.
“As far as changes being made moving forward, it is critical that people understand that in order for any changes to be made next season regarding the seeding or home games or whatever it might be, everyone involved in the College Football Playoff who has a position of power has to agree to it,” Dinich said. “We’re still in a period where it has to be unanimous. So we’re talking about Group of Five commissioners, including the Mountain West, where you’ve got Boise State not only in it, but with a first-round bye, conceding that possibly.
“I don’t think that’s gonna happen. So my sources are telling me changes for next year are probably unlikely.”
Despite speculation, the dates for the upcoming College Football Playoff semifinal matchups won’t be flipped, according to ESPN’s Heather Dinich. pic.twitter.com/E0tDBBhJZ2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 3, 2025
While one could argue whether a program like Boise State would be better off guaranteeing a home playoff game in the first round as opposed to a bye and a quarterfinals matchup at a neutral bowl site, the reality is that it’s hard to imagine all involved parties getting on board for such a major change after just one year.
What seems most likely at this point is that the 12-team College Football Playoff will continue as currently constructed for another year, with major changes — including potentially an increase to the field’s size — coming after the current contract expires following the 2025 season.
[Awful Announcing on X, via Get Up]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.