College Football Playoff announces criteria for determining 12-team field

The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams beginning next season, and we now know how the tournament field will be determined.

The CFP announced on Tuesday that the original plan for how the 12 playoff teams would be chosen has been modified. The field will be determined by taking the five highest-ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams as determined by the CFP Selection Committee.

Previously, the plan was to take the six highest-ranked conference champions and the next six highest-ranked teams. The decision was made to move to a 5-7 format from a 6-6 format for at least the next two seasons after the Pac-12 conference imploded.

Oregon State and Washington State are the only two remaining teams in the Pac-12, and they are working toward operating as a two-team conference for the immediate future. 

While NCAA by-laws require conferences to have at least eight members, there is a two-year grace period to get back to eight teams after schools leave a conference.

The 6-6 format would have potentially given Oregon State and Washington State an easier path to the College Football Playoff.

Now that the format for determining the 12-team field has been decided, the College Football Playoff’s massive new media rights agreement can be finalized.