CFP Byes Could Change Format

The College Football Playoff (CFP) has been super exciting this year! Imagine eight more teams playing, some getting a break in the first round, and others not even making it. And we still don’t know who the champion is yet!

Surprisingly, teams that got a break didn’t win their next games.

It seems like playing right away might actually be better than waiting. Teams had almost a month off between games, which sounds nice but might not help them win. Only Arizona State and Texas had close games; the rest were blowouts. Maybe it’s time to think about changing how things work.

Now, according to Chris Vannini from The Athletic, for any changes to happen in 2025, all 10 league commissioners and Notre Dame must agree unanimously. That’s a tall order!

The idea is that the Group of 5 conferences, plus the Big 12 and ACC, would need to give up two automatic bids for conference winners. Not an easy thing to agree on, right? This year’s results suggest changes could be good, but it’s hard to convince smaller conferences to make it tougher for themselves to join the CFP.

This year, the ACC managed to get two teams in, including one at-large bid. But both lost in the first round. Boise State might not have made it without an automatic bid. Smaller schools like Army and Tulane struggled with rankings too.

SEC and Big Ten have quite a task ahead if they want smaller conferences to let go of their lifeline into the playoffs.

If only the committee didn’t favor big-name schools or “good” losses so much. A unanimous vote seems unlikely, especially when you consider Notre Dame’s position without a conference.

Smaller conferences face tough choices: wait for a first-round bye or risk missing out altogether despite having a strong team.

A tougher non-conference schedule might help smaller leagues prove they can compete without automatic byes. But convincing everyone won’t be easy.

Without change, smaller teams may continue to struggle for recognition unless there’s a fairer system in place.

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