Overview
- Duke beat No. 16/17 Virginia 27-20 in overtime to win the ACC title, the Blue Devils’ first outright conference championship since 1962.
- Under CFP rules, automatic bids go to the five highest-ranked conference champions, and Duke’s 8-5, unranked profile makes an automatic berth unlikely.
- Tulane and James Madison are positioned to claim two of the five automatic spots after winning the AAC and Sun Belt, respectively.
- Miami retains a small chance for an at-large bid, with the final CFP rankings and 12-team field to be revealed Sunday at noon ET.
- The ACC could be left without a CFP team for the first time in the expanded format, risking at least $116 million in performance-based payouts, including new $8 million guarantees for the four highest-ranked champions.