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The College Football Playoff Board of Directors voted unanimously Tuesday to revise the format of the 12-team event to include the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven at-large bids, finalizing an adjustment to the original “6+6” model.
The board, which is made up of 11 chancellors and presidents from each FBS conference plus Notre Dame, met virtually Tuesday to finalize the adjustment that was introduced to account for the dismantling of the Pac-12 in the latest round of league realignment. conference. Washington State President Kirk Schulz, the Pac-12 representative on the board, had been the only one to oppose the change during the board’s most recent meeting.
Two sources briefed on the conference call said a proposal by Schulz, which called for the Pac-12’s two remaining members to receive the same income and voting powers as their peers in power conference leagues starting in 2026, did not receive a lot of support. For now, Washington State and Oregon State have retained their seats on both CFP boards and will receive Power 5 level payments this year and next.
Both sources said they expect Wednesday’s meeting of the commissioners who make up the CFP Management Committee to be quite contentious, with Big Ten and SEC leaders expected to lay out what they want in the new CFP contract. which begins in 2026. One said they expect the Big Ten and SEC will push for larger revenue shares than those given to the Big 12 and ACC, creating further separation between the two groups. The other source said they thought one or both leagues could mandate multiple automatic qualifiers per year, even up to three or four per conference.
The original 6+6 model, which was first introduced nearly three years ago along with the initial proposal to expand to 12 teams, gave the six highest-ranked conference champions automatic playoff bids. The next six highest-ranked teams receive the remaining at-large bids.
“This is a very logical fit for the College Football Playoffs based on the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted this new format in September 2022,” said Mississippi State President and President of the CFP board of directors Mark Keenum in a statement. “I know this change will also be welcomed by student-athletes, coaches and fans. “We will all be pleased to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”
In the 12-team format beginning with the 2024 season, the top four conference champions receive a first-round bye, with the No. 5 seed playing the No. 12, the No. 6 playing the No. 11, No. 7 playing No. 10. and No. 8 will play No. 9. The 5-8 seeds will host first-round games at their respective schools and the New Year’s Six Bowls (Peach Bowl , Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl). ) will host the quarterfinals and semifinals on a rotating basis.
No conference champion automatically qualifies for the field and there is no limit to the number of at-large bids a conference can earn. In November, commissioners determined that Oregon State and Washington State, which will continue to play football under the Pac-12 banner and reached a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West to help fill out their rosters for the next two years, They will not be eligible. for the five automatic qualifying spots for conference champions.
Conference commissioners (and Notre Dame leaders) who make up the CFP Management Committee will meet in person in Dallas on Wednesday as they continue to struggle to agree on several key structural details for 2026 and beyond, when the initial agreement CFP’s 12-year rights agreement with ESPN expires. ESPN agreed with College Football Playoff representatives on a six-year, $7.8 billion extension to televise the event through 2031-32, but CFP leaders must still vote on the deal for it to take effect.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)