Overview
- The initial College Football Playoff rankings air at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, with weekly releases through Dec. 2 and the final Selection Sunday ranking on Dec. 7.
- Under the new model, byes go to the top four teams in the final rankings regardless of conference, while the five highest-ranked conference champions remain guaranteed berths.
- Independents such as Notre Dame are now eligible for top-four seeds and quarterfinal byes without a league title under the straight-seeding approach.
- The 2025 postseason calendar is set: first-round games at campus sites Dec. 19–20, quarterfinals at the Cotton, Orange, Rose and Sugar bowls Dec. 31–Jan. 1, semifinals Jan. 8–9, and the championship Jan. 19 in Miami, with ESPN holding primary rights and TNT carrying two first-round games.
- CFP leaders adopted straight seeding after 2024 seeding optics drew criticism, and this season features a reported $116 million performance-based distribution with $4 million for qualifying and quarterfinal advancement and $6 million for reaching the semifinals and title game.