College Football Playoff

Rounds and bracket

Follow the winner’s link to the next round.

Format and selection

Four-team CFP

Four teams, two bowl semifinals, and one national championship game.

1. The CFP committee ranked teams and selected four for the playoff. No conference received an automatic berth.
2. The semifinals paired the first seed with the fourth and the second with the third; their winners advanced to the title game.

These are documented selection procedures. They do not explain why a particular participant was chosen unless the source expressly records that decision.

History

The College Football Playoff replaced the Bowl Championship Series for the 2014 season. A selection committee chose four teams for two bowl semifinals and a separate national championship game.

The field expanded to 12 for 2024. Campus first-round games joined the six major bowl sites, which host quarterfinals and semifinals. Seeding and qualification rules have changed since expansion.

Related competitions: College Football Playoff National Championship · BCS National Championship

Sources and coverage

• College Football Playoff history ↗
• NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision records ↗

Previous editions