When the College Football Playoff Selection Committee first drew up its plans for a 12-team CFP format, the landscape of the sport was wildly different. NCAA Football was dominated by a group of Power 5 conferences, but now one of those conferences has vanished right before the onset of the new playoff system.
The Pac-12 is now narrowed down to two programs after all remaining colleges and universities transferred to other Power 5 conferences. The Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars control the destiny of the Pac-12 but have yet to hammer out any arrangements for a merger in time for this upcoming season.
That same status applies to the CFP Selection Committee, as there’s not enough time to regroup before late August. As the current rules stand, the top five ranked teams from Power 5 conferences earn an automatic bid to the playoffs.
The current odds for betting on the CFP National Champion suggest that neither of the Pac-2 schools has much of a chance at reaching the playoffs despite their competitive advantage.
2024-25 CFP Futures
- Georgia +300
- Ohio State +475
- Texas +700
- Oregon +800
- Alabama +1100
- Mississippi +1500
- LSU +1600
- Michigan +1600
- Florida State +2200
- Missouri +2800
- Oregon State +50000 (tied for 48th)
- Washington State +80000 (tied for 64th)
The Committee is debating a new format for the 2025-26 postseason, and the current arrangement of the top conferences is a major consideration.
Both the Big Ten and SEC are clearly the dominant groupings, and each of them is lobbying for additional automatic playoff bids. Options include expansion to a 14-team CFP format, with as many as four teams making it from the SEC and Big Ten.
While that prospect may sound ridiculous, their new alignments equal 34 total programs, with many of them often ranking at or near the top.
This new format would take the emphasis off of winning conference championship games, with automatic qualifying conditions attached to overall standings.
ESPN’s television contract with the CFP is set to expire after the 2025 season, adding more reason for the Committee to make haste with any restructuring decisions.
Legal football betting sites are also trying to keep up by creating NCAAF futures that must factor in these uncertain outcomes.
The goal is for the Committee to finalize the format within a month.
Savvy football gamblers can take advantage of this scenario by betting on the CFP right now. NCAAF odds are available at each online sportsbook we recommend that are taking wagers on next season’s National Champions and the winners of each conference.