College Football Playoff seeding change has huge impact on this school

A significant change is coming to the way College Football Playoff teams are seeded next season, and there is one school that will be significantly impacted by the new format.

That school is Notre Dame.

ESPN's Heather Dinich reported on Thursday that the College Football Playoff’s management committee has voted unanimously to move to a straight seeding model for the 12-team playoff in 2025. The four highest-ranked teams in the final College Football Playoff rankings of the season will now be the top four seeds in the College Football Playoff.

Last season, which was the first year with a 12-team field, the four highest-ranked conference champions were given the top four seeds and received an automatic bye into the quarterfinals. Though Boise State and Arizona State were ranked No. 9 and No. 12., respectively, in the final rankings, they were the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, respectively, in the College Football Playoff as two of the four highest-ranked conference champions.

Notre Dame went 11-1 last year and finished No. 5 in the rankings. Under last year's seeding model, the Fighting Irish were not eligible for any of the top four seeds because Notre Dame is independent and does not have a conference affiliation. Since the four byes went to the four highest-ranked conference champions, there was no way for Notre Dame to earn a first-round bye.

Fortunately for Marcus Freeman's team, that has now changed. Like all other schools, Notre Dame will now only need to finish as one of the four highest-ranked teams in the final rankings to earn an automatic bye into the quarterfinals.

That is still a tall task, but it levels the playing field for the Fighting Irish.