Overview

• The revised bracket guarantees bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions and seeds all 12 teams by the final rankings, allowing multiple teams from one league to earn top-four byes.
• The update follows criticism of 2024’s bracket, when lower-ranked conference champions were seeded ahead of higher-ranked teams such as Texas and Penn State.
• The SEC approved a move to nine conference games next season, and commissioner Greg Sankey says the league still prefers a 16-team playoff model for 2026.
• ESPN reporting cited in the coverage says the Big Ten has discussed expanding the field to as many as 24 or 28 teams, with details still under debate.
• CFP leaders set Dec. 1 as the decision point for any 2026 format change, and without an agreement the playoff will remain a 12-team event.