About the CFP
The CFP (College Football Playoff) is the postseason competition that crowns the true national champion in college football. The CFP is more than a standalone event, it is a year-round sports property that celebrates what makes the Sport of college football so great: the regular season, traditions, generational fandom, history, pageantry, on-field excellence and the most extraordinary fan experience in all of sports. The CFP is the Pinnacle of College Football.
CFP Selection Committee Rankings
The CFP Selection Committee brings together respected voices from across college football to evaluate teams on a comprehensive, independent body of work. The process is rigorous, the committee members are credible, and the tools at their disposal are cutting-edge.
The selection committee evaluates teams on a comprehensive body of work and uses data points including Strength of schedule, head to head, comparative outcomes of common opponents and strength of record. No single metric determines a team’s fate.
The CFP Bracket
- Notre Dame receives an automatic bid if it is ranked in the CFP Top 12 on Selection Day. If so, six (6) at-large bids would be awarded.
- Seeds 1-4 receive first-round byes
- Seeds 5-12 play first-round games at the higher seed's home stadium
- Any automatic qualifiers ranked outside the top 12 will be placed in order at the bottom of the seeding.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Tradition
The New Year’s holiday period and bowl games belong to college football. This season following the CFP first-round games on campus, the four CFP Quarterfinal games will be played in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 30, and the Cotton Bowl Classic, Peach Bowl and Rose Bowl Game on New Year’s Day. The following week, the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl will host the CFP Semifinals.
Championship Monday
The two teams that win the CFP Semifinals compete for the College Football Playoff National Championship. The national championship game is in a different city each year, always on a Monday night.
Universal Access
Every Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team has equal access to the College Football Playoff based on its performance during the regular season. No team automatically qualifies.
Governance
CFP Board of Managers
University presidents and chancellors from all 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame serve as the CFP Board of Managers and govern the business, property and affairs of the CFP. The board develops, reviews and approves annual budgets, policies and operating guidelines. It also appoints and removes officers of the CFP. It has authority over all aspects of the company’s operations.
CFP Management Committee
The commissioners from all 10 FBS conferences and the athletics director at Notre Dame comprise the CFP Management Committee, which manages the CFP's day-to-day operations. It has authority over those aspects of the CFP’s operations that are not reserved exclusively for the board, but all of its decisions are subject to review by the board.
Day-to-day responsbilities are carried out by the CFP staff based in Irving, Texas.
CFP Selection Committee
A dedicated group of high-integrity football experts, with experience as coaches, student-athletes, college administrators and journalists, along with sitting athletics directors, comprise the CFP Selection Committee. The selection committee is responsible for ranking the top 25 teams, assigning the schools to the 12-team playoff bracket, and assigning the CFP Quarterfinal and CFP Semifinal bowl sites.
