About the CFP
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is a postseason event to determine college football’s national champion on the field, while emphasizing the significance of college football’s unique regular season where every game counts.
CFP Selection Committee Rankings
The selection committee ranks the schools based on the members’ evaluation of their performance on the field, using strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and comparison of results against common opponents.
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 abusiness, 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.
A small staff in the CFP office in Irving, Texas, carries out the day-to-day responsibilities.
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.
