The College Football Playoff will introduce a 12-team playoff format for the 2024–25 season, expanding the current four-team format.
How CFP teams are selected in the new format
The College Football Playoff’s new 12-team field will include the five top-ranked conference champions who automatically qualify, with the remaining seven top-ranked teams rounding out the 12-team format.
The best four teams in the first round receive a bye to the quarter-finals.
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Where CFP games take place
The top four conference champions will be seeded 1 through 4 and receive a bye in the first round. Teams ranked 5 through 12 will play each other in the first round. The higher-seeded teams will host each other in their first round games. Here is a breakdown of the first round matchups:
- No. 5 against No. 12
- No. 6 against No. 11
- No. 7 vs. No. 10
- No. 8 vs. No. 9
Six bowl games will be played in the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be played at the bowl on a rotating basis, while the site of the national championship will be determined by applications from potential host cities.
This is what the 12-team field would have looked like in the 2023/24 season
On Sunday, December 3, the CFP Selection Committee released the final rankings for the 2023-24 season. Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama were the top four teams that will compete in the College Football Playoff in the final year before the expanded format is implemented. Based on their respective rankings, we will project what the 12-team bracket would look like for the 2023-24 season.
Here are the final 2023-24 CFP rankings:
Published: Sunday, December 3, 2023
| RANK | SCHOOL | RECORD | PREVIOUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 13:0 | 2 |
| 2 | Washington | 13:0 | 3 |
| 3 | Texas | 12-1 | 7 |
| 4 | Alabama | 12-1 | 8 |
| 5 | State of Florida | 13:0 | 4 |
| 6 | Georgia | 12-1 | 1 |
| 7 | Ohio State | 11-1 | 6 |
| 8 | Oregon | 11-2 | 5 |
| 9 | Missouri | 10-2 | 9 |
| 10 | Penn State | 10-2 | 10 |
| 11 | Ole Miss | 10-2 | 11 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 10-2 | 12 |
| 13 | LSU | 9-3 | 13 |
| 14 | Arizona | 9-3 | 15 |
| 15 | Louisville | 10-3 | 14 |
| 16 | Notre-Dame | 9-3 | 17 |
| 17 | Iowa | 10-3 | 16 |
| 18 | NC State | 9-3 | 19 |
| 19 | State of Oregon | 8-4 | 20 |
| 20 | State of Oklahoma | 9-4 | 18 |
| 21 | Tennessee | 8-4 | 21 |
| 22 | Clemson | 8-4 | 23 |
| 23 | Freedom | 13:0 | 24 |
| 24 | SMU | 11-2 | NO |
| 25 | State of Kansas | 8-4 | 25 |
First round
As stated in the official CFP announcement, the first rounds will take place the week of Saturday, December 21, either at the home stadium of the higher-seeded team or at another location determined by the higher-seeded program.
While specific game dates haven’t been announced yet, we can make predictions about how each matchup will play out. Keep in mind that Liberty is seeded No. 12 because the Flames are the sixth-best conference champion in the final CFP rankings, replacing Oklahoma — a team that finished third in the Big 12 — as the No. 12 team.
No. 12 Liberty at No. 5 Florida State
No. 11 Ole Miss at No. 6 Georgia
No. 10 Penn State at No. 7 Ohio State
No. 9 Missouri at No. 8 Oregon
🔮 FUTURE: How the first College Football Playoff rankings predict the semifinals
Since the top four ranked teams have a bye, the winner of each of the teams listed above will face teams #1 through #4. Teams will not be re-seeded, meaning the top ranked team will face the winner of game #9 and #8.
Bowl games
CFP officials said the four quarterfinal games and two playoff semifinal games will be played alternately in the New Year’s Six Bowls.
Quarterfinals 2024: Fiesta bowl, peach bowl, rose bowl and sugar bowl
Semi-final 2024: Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl
Quarterfinals 2025: Cotton bowl, orange bowl, rose bowl and sugar bowl
Semi-final 2025: Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl
The CFP schedule for the 2024 and 2025 seasons:
| Game | Date |
|---|---|
| First round | 20-21 December |
| Fiesta Bowl | Quarterfinals | 31 December |
| Peach, Rose, Sugar Bowl | Quarterfinals | January 1 |
| Orange Bowl | Semifinal | 9 January |
| Cotton Bowl | Semifinal | 10 January |
| Atlanta, GA | National Championship | 20 January |
| Game | Date |
|---|---|
| First round | 19-20 December |
| Cotton Bowl | Quarterfinals | 31 December |
| Orange, Rose, Sugar Bowls | Quarterfinals | January 1 |
| Fiesta Bowl | Semifinals | 8 January |
| Peach Bowl | Semifinals | 9 January |
| Miami, FL | National Championship | 19 January |
Tap here to learn more about the CFP expansion to 12 teams for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
