According to sources, the agreed-upon 12-team College Football Playoff format is expected to remain unchanged for at least the 2024 season, despite the ongoing conference realignment. The reason for this is that any change to the 12-team format would require a unanimous vote from the CFP Management Committee, which consists of 10 commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director. The 12-team structure for 2024 will include the six highest-ranked conference champions as automatic qualifiers, with six at-large teams also receiving playoff bids.
With the uncertain future of FBS conferences due to realignments, reaching a consensus on which conferences deserve automatic qualifier status would be nearly impossible. The original idea behind guaranteeing spots to the six highest-ranked conference champions was to ensure that not only the Power Five league champions but also at least one champion from a Group of Five conference would have access to the playoffs.
In order to avoid speculation about a decrease in automatic qualifiers following the expected loss of the Pac-12, it has been suggested informally to maintain the 6+6 structure for 2024. Other alternatives include a 5+7 structure with five automatic qualifiers accounting for the expiration of the Pac-12, and a structure where the 12 highest-rated teams, regardless of conference championship status, earn playoff bids.
The CFP Management Committee will meet this week in Chicago, where alternate models might be proposed. However, it would only take one dissenting vote to keep the agreed-upon structure in place. American commissioner Mike Aresco has voiced his opposition to any changes that reduce the number of automatic berths, while SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has expressed support for a structure featuring 12 at-large teams.
After the 2025 season, the structure and format of the 12-team playoff will be up for consideration, including the 6+6 model. The final authority overseeing the playoff is the CFP Board of Managers, which consists of 11 university presidents and chancellors.
The urgency is growing as negotiations for a new CFP media rights agreement, starting in 2026, and the election of a new executive director are expected to take place soon. The new media rights agreement could be the largest in college sports history, and there may be discussions about how revenue should be distributed among the conferences.
Currently, the Power Five leagues receive around 80% of the annual revenue distribution, but it remains to be seen if this formula will change with the possible emergence of a Power Four following the dissolution of the Pac-12.
