The policy in brief
What this part would establish
- Teams 1–2 enter in the quarterfinals and need three wins for the title.
- Eight teams enter in Round 2 and avoid the opening round.
- Teams 11–14 host the four opening-round games; teams 15–18 begin on the road.
- The bracket reseeds after Round 1 and Round 2 using the final underlying résumé order.
- The bracket locks when the quarterfinal matchups are created.
How it works
Why the bracket math works
The structure works backward from an eight-team quarterfinal. Two double-bye teams wait there, so Round 2 must produce six winners. Twelve teams therefore play in Round 2: eight single-bye teams plus the four winners from the opening round. The sequence is 18 → 12 → 8 → 4 → 2 → champion.
Selection and champion access
The committee first creates a straight underlying résumé ranking. Every Power Four champion receives access and at least a single bye, while the highest-ranked champion from outside the Power Four receives CFP access. Remaining places are filled by résumé strength without a per-conference cap.
- The non-Power Four automatic champion receives access, not an automatic bye.
- The two double-bye positions remain fundamentally merit-based, subject to championship protection.
- Administrative benefits never rewrite the visible underlying ranking.
Round-by-round path
Round 1 places four games on campuses. The following weekend becomes a concentrated six-game CFP Bowl Weekend using an illustrative premier set of the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Peach, and Fiesta bowls. Christmas week is dark. Quarterfinals and semifinals return to campuses, and the national championship remains neutral.
Why reseeding matters
A low-ranked champion can earn a bye without receiving a falsely favorable seed. At each reseed, the highest remaining team faces the lowest remaining team. This preserves both the champion reward and the regular-season value earned by the highest-ranked survivors.
Safeguards
What keeps the rule honest
- Fixed capacities prevent champion guarantees from creating extra byes.
- The underlying résumé order remains public even when a protected benefit changes entry point.
- Medical, rest, travel, and maximum-game-load rules must launch with the format.
Still to resolve
Questions testing must answer
- Do ten total byes create the right balance between access and elite-season reward?
- Should all four quarterfinals be campus games if winter-weather and venue standards are satisfied?
- How often would protection rules displace an otherwise top-ten single-bye team in historical seasons?
Discuss this rule
The proposal ends.
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