No implementation date is being proposed at this time.

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  • 12 teams—six highest-ranked conference champions (no minimum ranking requirement) plus six highest-ranked teams not included among the six highest-ranked conference champions.
  
  
  • The four highest-ranked conference champions would receive first-round byes.
  
  
  • The other eight teams would play in the first round on the campus of the higher seed (Seed #12 at #5, #11 at #6, #10 at #7, and #9 at #8).
  
  
  • The playoff bracket would follow the rankings, with no modifications made to avoid rematches of teams that may have played during the regular-season or are from the same conference. This bracket would remain in effect throughout the playoff (i.e., no re-seeding).
  
  
  • For the purposes of this model, it is assumed that the first-round games would be played on the weekend following the conference championship games, but the model also allows for the games to be played during the following week if it is determined that a move to that week would better accommodate the interests of the student-athletes, and/or better accommodate calendar conflicts.
  
  
  • Subject to reaching agreement with bowls, the four quarterfinal and two semifinal games would be played at traditional bowl sites on a rotating basis, with each bowl hosting a quarterfinal or a semifinal each year.
  
  
  • It is contemplated that three quarterfinals games would be played January 1 and the other on an adjacent day.
  
  
  • Semifinals games likely would be played approximately a week later, on consecutive nights.
  
  
  • The championship game would be played at a neutral site, likely on a Monday night.
  
  
  • The four highest-ranked conference champions would be assigned to the quarterfinal bowls on selection day in ranking order, and in consideration of historical bowl relationships to the extent possible. For example, if the Pac-12 champion were ranked #1, the Big 10 champion were ranked #3, and the Rose Bowl were a quarterfinal site, the Pac-12 champion would be assigned to the Rose Bowl and the Big 10 champion would be assigned elsewhere.
  
  
  • With the four highest ranked champions assigned to bowls, the opponents from first-round game winners would be assigned by the selection committee based on the bracket. For example, Seed #1 would play the winner of Seed #8 vs. Seed #9.