While the College Football Playoff has been in talks of expanding further, there is a change fans will see go into effect as soon as this upcoming season. With the CFP committee selection growing, the teams that get byes in the tournament will be different, as it won't be the top four conferences getting it anymore.

Instead, it will be the teams that are the first four in the CFP rankings rather than the top four conferences, according to CBS Sports, meaning that Boise State and Arizona State, who won the Mountain West and Big 12 conferences, respectively. Funny enough, the report says that the Big 12 (which had one of the byes in Arizona State), along with the ACC, support the idea of “straight seeding,” meaning that the first four in the rankings get the byes.

“The College Football Playoff's power brokers are nearing consensus to change the seeding process next season and eliminate first-round byes for conference champions, sources told CBS Sports,” Brandon Marcello wrote.

The “straight seeding” proposal has gained support from the ACC and Big 12 in recent weeks, sources said,” Marcello continued. “On Wednesday, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said for the first time that the format “may be the right thing for us to consider.” CFP administrators must approve the proposal, which could happen within the next month, sources said. The proposal requires unanimous approval from the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame to be enacted for the 2025-26 season.”

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As the CFP continues to make changes and will still be doing so, especially with the new format in the path to the national championship, this new rule is no doubt an interesting one that gives a different set of teams first-round byes.

“The CFP expanded to 12 teams for the 2024 season, with the top four conference champions receiving first-round byes,” Marcello wrote. “Starting in 2025, straight seeding would eliminate those automatic byes and instead reward the top four teams in the CFP selection committee's final rankings.”

There was some concern about the lack of competition since Boise State and Arizona State, both of whom had byes, lost their first game in the tourney. At any rate, it remains to be seen how the standings will look later this year.