Following a Sunday meeting comprised of the FBS commissioners, presidents, and chancellors in control of the College Football Playoff (CFP), there did not appear to be an immediate plan to change the current structure of the 12-team playoff format.
However, the possibility of “tweaks” for the upcoming 2025 season has not been completely ruled out either, according to CFP executive director Rich Clark.
The meeting preceded Monday night’s historic College Football Playoff National Championship game in Atlanta, which was the first-ever championship game that was the result of the 12-team playoff format. The first type of format structure since the CFP’s inception in 2014.
The Ohio State Buckeyes came out victorious against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Monday night, thus making them the national champions. The final score of 34-23 officially marked the end of the 2024-2025 FBS college football season.
Changes Are Inevitable For the CFP Playoff Format
Sunday’s meeting was the first time that the people capable of making changes to the playoffs met in person to discuss the future of the expanded playoff format.
While no major changes were seemingly made, Clark did suggest that changes are perhaps coming soon, “I would say it’s possible, but I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not”.
Clark gave no further details, however, he did note that substantial decisions are needed “very soon”.
In order for any changes to be made to the 12-team format, the commissioners would have to unanimously agree to implement them for the 2025 college football season.
Mississippi State President Mark Keenum was quite vague as well but did mention that the commissioners are currently tasked with providing a plan for the 2026 playoff format and beyond.
It’s not just Keenum’s words that imply format changes would be coming for the playoff format by 2026. The most recent CFP contract negotiation established that the Big Ten and SEC would be the main deciders when it comes to CFP format decisions starting in 2026.
The SEC and Big Ten Show
With the inevitability of the SEC and Big Ten being handed the keys to the CFP playoff format in 2026, the possibility of a different-looking playoff format fine-tuned to the interests of the SEC and the Big Ten is quite substantial.
There’s evidence, of course, to support this. According to a report by Yahoo Sports, a meeting between the SEC and Big Ten is scheduled for next month, Feb. 19, where the two conferences’ athletic directors will meet to discuss the future of the playoff format. The said meeting will come a week before a scheduled meeting in Dallas where CFP commissioners will discuss the future of the playoff’s format and governance structure.
While it’s easy to speculate that the SEC and Big Ten will attempt to modify the playoff format to benefit the two leagues as much as possible, there do remain protections in place to keep any future playoff changes grounded. The protections include an automatic spot for the five highest-ranked conference champions, a 12- or 14-team field, and qualification guarantees for independents like Notre Dame related to their place in the rankings.
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