College Football Playoff National Championship

Participants and result

Format and selection

Expanded CFP (2025)

12 teams in a seeded single-elimination bracket with campus first-round games and bowl quarterfinals and semifinals.

1. The five highest-ranked conference champions qualified, along with seven at-large teams.
2. Teams were seeded directly by the committee ranking. The four highest-ranked teams received byes, regardless of conference-championship status.

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

History

A separate national championship game has concluded the College Football Playoff since its first season in 2014.

The two semifinal winners meet at a selected neutral site. Its date in January belongs to the preceding football season.

Related competitions: College Football Playoff

Sources and coverage

• Bowl Season 2025 schedule ↗
• College Football Playoff history ↗
• Straight seeding begins in 2025 ↗

Previous editions