The College Football Playoff (CFP) is introducing a new seeding model that will rank all 12 teams in order of their final playoff rankings, starting from the upcoming season. This change means the four highest-ranked teams regardless of conference championships won will receive a first-round bye into the quarterfinals.
Under the new policy, only five top conference winners will still receive automatic playoff bids, while the other three spots will be determined by their ranking in the final playoff rankings. If one or more of the top conference champions rank outside the top 12, they’ll move into the top 12 and displace non-conference winners.
The updated policy aims to recognize the best performance on the field during the entire regular season. The current seeding will remain the same for other policies, including games between teams ranked between No. 5 and No. 12 being played at the home venue of the higher-ranked team.
This change is part of a broader push by Power Four leagues to widen the tournament field to 14 or 16 teams, with multiple automatic bids given to the best teams in the SEC and Big Ten.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/05/22/college-football-playoff-seeding-changes-cfp/83797225007