Big news came Thursday regarding the College Football Playoff.
The 12-team College Football Playoff is moving to straight seeding this season.
The teams ranked No. 1 through No. 12 will be seeded directly on the rankings. Of course, under the previous 12-team playoff format that began last fall, the four highest-ranked conference champions were seeded one through four, with each receiving a first-round bye.
Now, with the straight seeding model, the top four teams in the selection committee’s rankings will get the top four seeds and receive first-round byes, whether or not they are a conference champion. The five highest-ranked conference champs will still get automatic playoff spots, but will be seeded based on their ranking.
The CFP’s management committee unanimously agreed Thursday on the move to straight seeding.
This is expected to be the last year of the 12-team playoff, with expansion coming in 2026.