The 2025 College Football Playoff will likely retain its 12-team format with conference champion-exclusive byes, despite discussions about potential seeding changes.
The 2025 College Football Playoff (CFP) is expected to maintain the same structure as the 2024 format, despite ongoing discussions among commissioners about potential adjustments.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, a proposed change to the seeding structure, which would eliminate the rule giving first-round byes exclusively to conference champions, is unlikely to pass unless a compromise is reached among the 11 members of the CFP Management Committee.
This committee includes the 10 FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director.
The Current Format Explained
The 12-team playoff structure, introduced in 2024, includes:
- Five automatic bids: Awarded to the five highest-ranked conference champions.
- Seven at-large bids: Reserved for the top-ranked non-conference champions.
The top-four conference champions receive first-round byes, while the fifth-highest conference champion and the seven at-large teams compete in the first round.
Quarterfinal matchups pit first-round winners against the four top-seeded teams.
Calls for Change
The 2024 postseason highlighted potential flaws in the format, as all four top-seeded conference champions lost their quarterfinal games.
Additionally, Clemson, the fifth-highest ranked champion, fell in the first round to Texas, meaning no conference champion advanced past the first round.
Some have proposed allowing first-round byes for non-conference champions with more challenging schedules, as this could better reflect season performance.
However, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark expressed reluctance to concede the financial benefits associated with a first-round bye.
“I’m open to a healthy discussion on the topic,” Yormark told Dellenger. “But I do not have the appetite to give up any financial reward that comes with a bye.”
What Lies Ahead?
While the debate continues, unanimous approval among the committee members is required to enact changes in time for the 2025 playoff.
Without consensus, the 2024 format—featuring five automatic bids and seven at-large bids with conference champion-exclusive byes—will likely remain unchanged.
With the current format still in its early stages, the 2025 playoff may provide additional insights into its effectiveness and whether a more balanced structure is warranted in the future.