Why CFP shifting to straight seeding makes sense

After watching multiple blowouts in the first 12-team College Football Playoff last season, the selection committee is making a reasonable call. 

On Thursday, the committee unanimously voted to move to straight seeding this upcoming season. In the tweaked format, the top four seeds and first-round byes will go to the selection committee’s top four teams. In the old model, these went to the four highest-ranked conference champions.  

“After evaluating the first year of the 12-team playoff, the CFP management committee felt it was in the best interest of the game to make this adjustment,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement, per ESPN’s Heather Dinich. “This change will allow guaranteed success for the playoff by rewarding teams for winning their conference championship, but it will also allow us to construct a postseason bracket that recognizes the best performance on the field during the entire regular season.” 

Schools in the Big Ten and the SEC should benefit the most from the change. 

In 2024, the Boise State Broncos earned the CFP’s No. 3 seed, while the Arizona State Sun Devils clinched the No. 4 seed. Meanwhile, the Texas Longhorns (SEC) had the No. 5 seed, and the Penn State Nittany Lions (Big Ten) held the No. 6 seed. 

Had the committee used the new format last season, Texas would’ve had the third seed, while Penn State would’ve held the fourth seed. Boise State would’ve been seed No. 9, and Arizona State would’ve been seed No. 11.