What the New College Football Playoff Seeding Format Means for Nebraska, Big Ten Conference

Fast forward to Thursday, and the automatic bids remain but the byes are now based on which teams are ranked 1 through 4 after conference championship weekend.

With a straight-seeding approach, the 2024-25 edition of the CFP would have still included Oregon and Georgia s the top two seeds. Instead of Boise State and Arizona State, Texas and Penn State would have been seeds three and four.

As you can see below, all of the matchups would have been changed with a straight-seeding format.

This means very little for Nebraska, yet. The closest the Huskers have been to finishing in the top 12 of the final AP Poll over the past 20 years was No. 14 in 2009. Still, Indiana made a giant leap in 2024, and year three of Matt Rhule could have a trajectory to put the Big Red in contention for meaningful December football.

But where this could become something that matters to NU, and other Big Ten Conference schools for that matter, is scheduling. As it stands, the Big Ten has been steadily shifting away from marquee non-conference games. In the upcoming format, those non-conference results, instead of winning the league, could weigh heavily on seeding and perhaps getting a bye.

The Big Ten could also encourage such non-conference games in hopes of getting multiple teams into the quarterfinals before the first round is even played.

However, the thought of changing strategy around scheduling is unlikely to follow in the immediacy of this format update. Talk for future editions of the CFP has revolved around expansion to 16 teams and automatic bids for leagues beyond the conference champions.

One such format, dubbed the “4-4-2-2-1” model, would grant the Big Ten and SEC four automatic bids each. Two bids would then go to each of the Big 12 and ACC, with one going to the highest-ranked Group of Six conference champion. This format would also save three spots for at-large selections, which is where independent Notre Dame and more selections for the Power Four would slot in.

Expansion is not in the cards for the 2025-26 College Football Playoff, with the only change being a straight-seeding format. But make no mistake, expansion and another upheaval to the postseason is coming, sooner rather than later.

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