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 overall contenders, an adjustment to the original “6+6” model away.
The board, made up of 11 chancellors and presidents from each FBS conference as well as Notre Dame, met virtually Tuesday to finalize the adjustment, which was put in place to accommodate the Pac-12's dissolution in the latest round of conference realignment to wear. Washington State President Kirk Schulz, the Pac-12 representative on the board, was the only person to speak against the change at the last board meeting.
Two sources briefed on the call said a proposal from Schulz calling for the two remaining Pac-12 members to receive the same revenue and voting rights as their counterparts in power conference leagues starting in 2026 did not receive much support. Washington State and Oregon State have retained their seats on both CFP boards for now and will receive Power 5 level payouts this year and next.
Both sources said they expect Wednesday's meeting of the commissioners who make up the CFP Management Committee to be fairly contentious, with Big Ten and SEC leaders expected to spell out what they want want in the new CFP contract, which begins in 2026. One said they expect the Big Ten and SEC to push for turnover shares greater than those of the Big 12 and ACC, creating further separation between the two groups. The other source said they expect one or both leagues could require multiple automatic qualifying tournaments per year — even up to three or four for a conference.
The original 6+6 model, first introduced nearly three years ago alongside the original proposal to expand to 12 teams, awarded automatic playoff bids to the top six ranked conference champions. The next six highest ranked teams will receive the remaining overall bids.
“This is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff based on the evolution of our conference structures since the Board of Directors first adopted this new format in September 2022,” Mississippi State President and CFP Board Chairman Mark Keenum said in a statement . “I know this change will also be well received by student-athletes, coaches and fans. We will all be excited to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”
In the 12-team format starting with the 2024 season, the top four conference champions will receive a first-round bye, with the No. 5 seed playing No. 12, No. 6 playing No. 11 and No. 7 playing No. 10 and No. 8 plays No. 9. The 5-8 seeds will host the first-round games at their respective schools as well as the New Year's Six bowls (Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Fiesta Bowl). ) will alternately host the quarterfinals and semifinals.
No conference champion automatically qualifies for the field, and there is no limit to the number of at-large bids a conference can receive. In November, the commissioners ruled that Oregon State and Washington State, which will continue to play football under the Pac-12 banner and have reached appointments with the Mountain West to help fill their rosters for the next two years, would be ineligible are for the five automatic qualification spots for Conference Champions.
The conference commissioners (and Notre Dame leadership) who make up the CFP's administrative committee will meet in person in Dallas on Wednesday to continue agreeing on several key structural details for 2026 and beyond, when the first 12-year rights agreement the CFP is concluded with ESPN expiring. ESPN has agreed to a six-year, $7.8 billion extension with College Football Playoff officials to televise the event through 2031-32. However, CFP leaders still need to vote on the deal for it to take effect.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)