The 12-Team College Football Playoff Will Move To Straight Seeding Model

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The 12-team College Football Playoff will move to a straight seeding model this fall, rewarding the selection committee's top four teams with the top four seeds and a first-round bye, the CFP announced Thursday.

The 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, who comprise the CFP's management committee, reached the unanimous agreement necessary to make the change during a call on Thursday afternoon.

This past season, the four highest-ranked conference champions earned the top four seeds -- regardless of where they were ranked. Now, independent Notre Dame is eligible to earn a first-round bye if the Irish are ranked in the top four. All four teams that earned a first-round bye in the inaugural 12-team CFP lost their first game.

The five highest-ranked conference champions will still be guaranteed spots in the 12-team field.

"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," Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff, said in a statement. "This change will continue to allow guaranteed access to 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."

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