The College Football Playoff (CFP) will adopt a simplified bracket format starting next season, seeding teams strictly based on their rankings rather than giving automatic advantages to conference champions.
The decision, announced Thursday, was unanimously approved by the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director. It marks a significant shift from the previous model, which drew widespread criticism after last season’s confusing bracket.
Under the old format, the four highest-ranked conference champions automatically received first-round byes. This led to controversy when Arizona State and Boise State—ranked 12th and 9th respectively—received byes over higher-ranked teams due to their conference titles.
The updated structure eliminates that discrepancy. Moving forward, byes will go to the top four ranked teams overall, regardless of conference affiliation. This means rankings will now directly determine both playoff participation and seeding, removing the split between CFP rankings and bracket structure.
Critics argued the previous system diminished the importance of rankings and led to awkward early-round matchups. Last year’s quarterfinal, which saw No. 1 Oregon face eventual national champion Ohio State earlier than expected, was a key example.
The change is expected to improve fairness and better reflect the true performance of teams throughout the season.
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