Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

‘The Boise State policy;’ Broncos athletic director weighs in on College Football Playoff format change

Originally posted on Boise State Broncos on SI
By Bob Lundeberg | Last updated May 25, 2025 12:29 PM ET

For last year’s inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff, the four highest-ranked conference champions received the top four seeds and a first-round bye.

The four byes went to No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten), No. 2 Georgia (SEC), No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West) and No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12).

On Thursday, the CFP Management Committee announced that conference champions will not earn an automatic bye for the 2025 season. Instead, the CFP will use straight seeding to slot the teams one through 12.

The top five conference champions in the final CFP rankings will still earn a playoff spot. The four opening-round games will remain on campus with traditional bowl games hosting the quarterfinals and semifinals.

In response to the news, Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey labeled it “the Boise State policy.”

“Please call it the Boise State policy … legacy is important … would make us feel better,” Dickey wrote on X. “When the system is created to keep you down, you fight like hell to break it. Nothing to lose … always what’s next!”

.@CFBPlayoff, please call it the Boise State policy…legacy is important…would make us feel better.

When the system is created to keep you down, you fight like hell to break it. Nothing to lose…Always What’s Next! Believe in epic! 1-0! #BleedBlue https://t.co/1tRJhuJUXT
— Jeramiah Dickey (@JeramiahDickey) May 23, 2025

If the new rules had been in place last year, Boise State would’ve played at Indiana in the opening round in a No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup. Arizona State would’ve earned the No. 11 seed and traveled to No. 6 Ohio State in the first round.

Here is how last year’s participating teams would’ve been seeded:

1. Oregon

2. Georgia

3. Texas

4. Penn State

5. Notre Dame

6. Ohio State

7. Tennessee

8. Indiana

9. Boise State

10. SMU

11. Arizona State

12. Clemson

While Dickey calls the format changes the Boise State policy, others believe the changes are more about Oregon.

The top-seeded Ducks drew a tough matchup with No. 8 Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and suffered a 41-21 quarterfinal loss. The Buckeyes went on to win the national title over Notre Dame.

“We had an opportunity. We didn’t take advantage of our opportunity. I’m not going to make excuses for our opportunity,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said after the game. “Ultimately, you’ve got to beat great teams to be in position at the end of the year, and we didn’t do that. This is the road that we had to travel and they did it better than us tonight. So no complaints for us for having that opportunity. They just took advantage of it and we didn’t.”

The bye teams went 0-4 in last year’s College Football Playoff.

This article first appeared on Boise State Broncos on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: