Friday, May 22, 2026

CFP Meetings End With No Major Changes to 12-Team Playoff—for Now

The College Football Playoff is exploring potential format changes for next season, as well as 2026 and beyond. However, nothing has been agreed to yet.

Jan 21, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark speaks during the CFP National Championship Host Committee handoff press conference at The Westin Peachtree Plaza, Savannah Ballroom.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff’s annual spring meetings concluded without any major decisions about changing the format of the expanded, 12-team postseason bracket.

The CFP management committee—made up of FBS conference commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua—met in Dallas Tuesday afternoon through Thursday morning to discuss standard logistical and financial operations for the upcoming season, as well as ideas about how the Playoff could further evolve.

However, no big changes were agreed to this week, CFP executive director Rich Clark told reporters in Dallas on Thursday afternoon.

One idea that has seemingly had momentum this offseason is shifting to straight seeding, as opposed to the inaugural bracket, which gave the top four seeds (that come with first-round byes) to the highest-ranked conference champions. This past season, No. 9 Boise State received the third seed, and No. 12 Arizona State got the fourth seed.

That change and any other could still be made ahead of the 2025 season, as the CFP leaders are set to meet again in June. 

Ahead of this week’s meeting, a source told Front Office Sports that they expected things to remain status quo this year, before big changes come in 2026, since the CFP format for that season and beyond has not yet been set.

Other potential format changes in future years include more automatic qualifiers for the Big Ten and SEC, expanding to 14 or 16 teams, and more on-campus home games.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Texas State mascot

Mascot-Reveal Videos Are the Newest College Sports Tradition

Student mascot unmasking videos are going mega-viral.

Stafford Signs $55 Million Extension With Rams

The 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player receives a sizable pay increase.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; A view of the CFP logo and SEC logo before the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

SEC Holds Cards to 24-Team College Football Playoff

CFP expansion will be a major topic at the SEC spring meetings.
Nov 12, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers former head coach Ed Orgeron watches a game between the Tulane Green Wave and the UCF Knights from the sidelines at Yulman Stadium.

Ed Orgeron Returns to LSU After Years of Scandals

LSU fired Orgeron in 2021, two years after he won a national championship.

Featured Today

Charlie Pliner and Nikolas Rohrmann

How 2 Brown Undergrads Became Sports Dealmakers

An experimental project turned into a permanent course and business deal network.
May 14, 2026

NFL Rivalries Are Made on the Field, Mocked in Schedule Release Videos

Every year, teams find new ways to one-up themselves (and their rivals).
Bart Swings/Falyn Fonoimoana/Avery Poppinga
May 14, 2026

OnlyFans Is Paying Pro Athletes What Their Sports Won’t

The adult-content platform is a reliable income source for niche athletes.
May 13, 2026

How Sports Graphic Designers Are Grappling With the Rise of AI Art

The release of ChatGPT 2.0 Images sparked a conversation among sports designers.
Apr 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; Wisconsin Badgers defenseman Joe Palodichuk (14) and Denver Pioneers forward Kyle Chyzowski (16) battle for control of the puck during the second period in the championship game of the NCAA men's ice hockey Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena

Hockey Unites to Demand Change to NCAA ‘5-in-5’ Proposal

The sport doesn’t want to be “collateral damage” of the new rule.
Dec 31, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) carries the ball against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Donovan Jones (37) in the second half during the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium.
May 20, 2026

Dave Checketts: Utah ‘Sold Off Their Future’ With PE Deal

The Utah–Otro Capital was approved by the university board in December.
May 20, 2026

Will Wade’s LSU Is Pushing College Basketball to the Absolute Limit

The notorious coach has assembled a team of international pros.
Sponsored

Mark Cuban Peels Back the Curtain

Mark Cuban discusses sports ownership, the rise of NIL, and the evolving media landscape.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) shakes hands with Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng during a U.S. congressional delegation's visit in Shanghai, China, May 5, 2026.
May 19, 2026

As SCORE Act Fails Again, a New College Sports Bill May Emerge

On Monday night, House leadership canceled the vote.
Oct 25, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby walks off the field after defeating the Baylor Bears at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
May 18, 2026

Texas Tech QB Sorsby Sues NCAA Seeking Eligibility

If deemed ineligible, Sorsby is eyeing the NFL Supplemental Draft.
Sponsored

Volpe Brings Style to the Bronx

With the New York Yankees & Anthony Volpe, Charles Tyrwhitt is bringing its decades-long playbook to one of sports’ biggest stages.
May 15, 2026

3 Hot Topics at ACC Spring Meetings

Jim Phillips talked PE, Duke-Amazon, and CFP expansion.