The College Football Playoff (CFP) is set to expand from four teams to twelve teams for the 2024 season, a monumental shift in the structure of college football’s postseason. However, reports indicate that the seeding format for the 2025 CFP season is unlikely to see major changes. This means the bracket for the 2025 season may resemble the new system that will be implemented in 2024, with some minor tweaks expected but not a full overhaul.
The expanded playoff will consist of 12 teams, with the six highest-ranked conference champions earning automatic berths. The remaining six spots will be filled by at-large teams based on their rankings, as determined by the selection committee. In this new format, the top four teams will receive a first-round bye, which is a significant benefit in such a large playoff field. The remaining eight teams will compete in first-round games at the home stadiums of the higher-seeded teams.
The seeding itself for the 12-team format is one of the main components that could potentially evolve, but experts suggest that the general structure will remain intact. The primary issue with the current format is ensuring that conference champions are given appropriate recognition and are not unfairly penalized for playing in weaker conferences. As of now, the selection committee will still rely on a combination of factors, including team performance, strength of schedule, and head-to-head results, to determine rankings.
The challenge with adjusting the seeding format is balancing fairness for all teams while also maintaining the integrity of the competition. For example, while the committee could consider modifying the way in which it places the at-large teams or conference champions in relation to the top four, there has been little indication of substantial changes on the horizon for 2025. The current structure is designed to prevent any team from receiving an automatic advantage simply based on geography or reputation, which was a key critique of the four-team system.
Given the complexity and the relatively short time frame between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, significant changes to the seeding format are deemed unlikely. Instead, the focus will likely remain on refining the process based on feedback from the inaugural 12-team playoff season in 2024, which will provide valuable data on how teams, conferences, and the playoff itself perform under the new format. Therefore, while tweaks may be made to address potential issues, the 2025 College Football Playoff is expected to feature a seeding format largely consistent with that of 2024.
