CFP Board of Managers Chair sends strong message on 5+7 College Football Playoff format

College Football Playoff Board of Managers Chair Mark Keenum is confident that the new 5+7 College Football Playoff format will be a hit with not only fans, but of players, coaches, and team administration as well.

“This is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff based on the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted this new format in September 2022,” Keenum said (h/t On3). “I know this change will also be well received by student-athletes, coaches and fans. We all will be pleased to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”

The 5+7 format will see the top five conference champions receive an auto-bid, while seven other teams will receive an at-large bid based on regular season, and potentially conference championship, play.

“Under the 12-team playoff format that begins this fall, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and each will receive a first-round bye, while teams seeded five through 12 will play each other in the first round on the home field of the higher-ranked team,” an official press release read.

College Football Playoff format a possible side effect of 2023 FSU snub

Following FSU's historic CFP snub in 2024, it's not hard to connect the dots and see that the five conference championship slots were to ensure that there wasn't a repeat of an undefeated conference champion being left out of the postseason. That decision has likely cost the ACC FSU's willingness to be in the conference altogether.

Finding a deserving champion out of over 130 FBS programs, nearly 70 of those being Power Five schools, has never been clear-cut, but the 2023 CFP was somehow the most muddled ever.

Perhaps, a proper send-off to the highly unpopular four-team model that is now extinct.