Possible New CFP Format: Does it Hurt ND?

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

According to what I have read, the Commissioners from the SEC and B1G are about to force a revision of how the CFP teams will be selected beginning in 2026. There will be 14 teams, with 4 each going to the SEC and B1G, 2 each to the ACC and Big 12, 1 to the best team from the six other Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and one at-large spot. ND would be eligible for that 1 at-large spot, but could be left out in the cold if there was another higher ranked team that didn't meet one of the other criteria. The conferences themselves will determine who makes the playoffs from their conference and the CFP committee will basically be left to determine seeding.

I don't know if that is how it will play out, but it would seem the SEC and B1G are now calling the shots. If in fact this format is what happens, does it help or hurt ND? I can see a scenario where a 1 loss ND team loses the at-large bid to an undefeated team that doesn't play in a conference, and where that 1 loss ND team is clearly better than one of the conference teams that is selected, especially from the ACC or Big 12. Are the SEC and B1G trying to force ND's hand to join a conference? I guess UConn and UMass are the only other independents these days, so maybe this won't be an issue, but it isn't clear to me if a team from the Group of Five that doesn't get in through the conference selection criteria would be eligible for the at-large spot.

 

[scubastevefl]

ND was 2-1 against the Big in the playoff and 1-0 against the SEC. I guess if you can’t beat them, leave them out.

 

[Shakin' Down the Thunder]

As long as ND is good enough to make the playoffs, they will.

 

[1Redrum]

It's' ridiculous to guarantee 4 spots to SEC and BIG conferences. I have not had time but I am sure if you went back the last 20 years and looked at the top 14 teams in end of regular season rankings there have been at least 3 if not more from these two conferences ranked in the top 14 anyways. If you want a professional league / SEC vs BIG 10 / NFL Light just say it......we are paying the players anyway so just call it a minor league and move on.

 

[JimMc]

We are in if we are ranked by the Committee in the top 14, period. It doesn’t matter how many undefeated teams are ranked above us unless that knocks us out of the top 14 ranked teams.

 

[sjb75]

According to what I have read, the Commissioners from the SEC and B1G are about to force a revision of how the CFP teams will be selected beginning in 2026. There will be 14 teams, with 4 each going to the SEC and B1G, 2 each to the ACC and Big 12, 1 to the best team from the six other Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and one at-large spot. ND would be eligible for that 1 at-large spot, but could be left out in the cold if there was another higher ranked team that didn't meet one of the other criteria. The conferences themselves will determine who makes the playoffs from their conference and the CFP committee will basically be left to determine seeding.

I don't know if that is how it will play out, but it would seem the SEC and B1G are now calling the shots. If in fact this format is what happens, does it help or hurt ND? I can see a scenario where a 1 loss ND team loses the at-large bid to an undefeated team that doesn't play in a conference, and where that 1 loss ND team is clearly better than one of the conference teams that is selected, especially from the ACC or Big 12. Are the SEC and B1G trying to force ND's hand to join a conference? I guess UConn and UMass are the only other independents these days, so maybe this won't be an issue, but it isn't clear to me if a team from the Group of Five that doesn't get in through the conference selection criteria would be eligible for the at-large spot.

If Notre Dame is good enough to get in, they are in, period. There is no scenario Notre Dame will be left out if they are ranked in the top 14. And Notre Dame isn't being forced to join the Big 10 full time for Football, or any other conference.

 

[Juniper_Run]

There hasn't been any official release of this plan, but a few sources have reported what the OP shared. If those details are correct, then ND is not guaranteed a playoff spot by finishing 14th. Looking at the past 5 years, and imagining that all teams were already in their current conference, here is the final rank ND would need to make the playoffs in this format:

2024: 14th
2023: 10th
2022: 9th
2021: 10th
2020: 9th

It's not terrible, but it definitely looks like a slight disadvantage relative to other teams.

 

[chaseball]

can someone remind me what the benefits of being semi independent are? actually i dont think there are any. ND made a really stupid move hitching themselves to the ACC in football for half the season for another 20 years so now we have to make up positive stories in order to justify it.

it seems like ND would be playing way more competitive games, getting more national respect, and bringing in better recruiting classes if they were simply in the SEC or BIG10 right now as opposed to being independent/semi-independent/semi-ACC.

 

[Juniper_Run]

can someone remind me what the benefits of being semi independent are? actually i dont think there are any. ND made a really stupid move hitching themselves to the ACC in football for half the season for another 20 years so now we have to make up positive stories in order to justify it.

it seems like ND would be playing way more competitive games, getting more national respect, and bringing in better recruiting classes if they were simply in the SEC or BIG10 right now as opposed to being independent/semi-independent/semi-ACC.

The "ND in a conference" discussion is completely relevant to this topic, but we all know it takes over any thread where it comes up. Could we wait a bit for folks to chime in on other aspects of this topic before getting sucked into that black hole?

 

[savvyandsassier]

As long as ND is good enough to make the playoffs, they will.

Oh yeah, is that how it works?

 

[sjb75]

A good thread that in the last 3 posts went to shit.

 

[NDinNJ]

can someone remind me what the benefits of being semi independent are? actually i dont think there are any.

Keeping 100% of the playoff purse instead of sharing it with 17-19 other teams. $20 million reasons to stay independent.

ND literally made enough in CFP money, they would need to miss the playoffs for 10 straight years before breaking even with say what Ohio State made this season.

 

[sjb75]

Keeping 100% of the playoff purse instead of sharing it with 17-19 other teams. $20 million reasons to stay independent.

You told me weeks ago, specifically stated you were done responding to that disingenuous troll.

 

[NDinNJ]

You told me weeks ago, specifically stated you were done responding to that disingenuous troll.

lol, oops I forgot

 

[sjb75]

lol, oops I forgot

No biggy.

 

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

There hasn't been any official release of this plan, but a few sources have reported what the OP shared. If those details are correct, then ND is not guaranteed a playoff spot by finishing 14th. Looking at the past 5 years, and imagining that all teams were already in their current conference, here is the final rank ND would need to make the playoffs in this format:

2024: 14th
2023: 10th
2022: 9th
2021: 10th
2020: 9th

It's not terrible, but it definitely looks like a slight disadvantage relative to other teams.

You have done a deeper dive into the numbers than I have, but I agree with you that finishing in the top 14 isn't a guaranty that ND will be in the playoffs, at least as I understand what is being proposed for the new format. And with the SEC and B1G driving the bus on this thing, I don't think ND should expect favorable treatment.

 

[sjb75]

You have done a deeper dive into the numbers than I have, but I agree with you that finishing in the top 14 isn't a guaranty that ND will be in the playoffs, at least as I understand what is being proposed for the new format. And with the SEC and B1G driving the bus on this thing, I don't think ND should expect favorable treatment.

In the explanation of the memorandum that I read, and I re-read it twice, is that finishing in the top 14 is indeed a guaranteed playoff berth for Notre Dame.

 

[BGI User 756]

It's' ridiculous to guarantee 4 spots to SEC and BIG conferences. I have not had time but I am sure if you went back the last 20 years and looked at the top 14 teams in end of regular season rankings there have been at least 3 if not more from these two conferences ranked in the top 14 anyways. If you want a professional league / SEC vs BIG 10 / NFL Light just say it......we are paying the players anyway so just call it a minor league and move on.

Agreed

The Satan network is in bed with their conferences.

 

[BGI User 756]

can someone remind me what the benefits of being semi independent are? actually i dont think there are any. ND made a really stupid move hitching themselves to the ACC in football for half the season for another 20 years so now we have to make up positive stories in order to justify it.

it seems like ND would be playing way more competitive games, getting more national respect, and bringing in better recruiting classes if they were simply in the SEC or BIG10 right now as opposed to being independent/semi-independent/semi-ACC.

It allows you to continue to be exposed as the troll you are…..so worth the consideration

 

[Patrish]

According to what I have read, the Commissioners from the SEC and B1G are about to force a revision of how the CFP teams will be selected beginning in 2026. There will be 14 teams, with 4 each going to the SEC and B1G, 2 each to the ACC and Big 12, 1 to the best team from the six other Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and one at-large spot. ND would be eligible for that 1 at-large spot, but could be left out in the cold if there was another higher ranked team that didn't meet one of the other criteria. The conferences themselves will determine who makes the playoffs from their conference and the CFP committee will basically be left to determine seeding.

I don't know if that is how it will play out, but it would seem the SEC and B1G are now calling the shots. If in fact this format is what happens, does it help or hurt ND? I can see a scenario where a 1 loss ND team loses the at-large bid to an undefeated team that doesn't play in a conference, and where that 1 loss ND team is clearly better than one of the conference teams that is selected, especially from the ACC or Big 12. Are the SEC and B1G trying to force ND's hand to join a conference? I guess UConn and UMass are the only other independents these days, so maybe this won't be an issue, but it isn't clear to me if a team from the Group of Five that doesn't get in through the conference selection criteria would be eligible for the at-large spot.

Where did you read that?

 

[NDinNJ]

From the article I read, it gives Notre Dame a guaranteed spot if it finishes in the top 14.

"The 14- or 16-team model would grant four automatic qualifiers each to the SEC and Big Ten; two each to the ACC and Big 12; and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. It includes one or three at-large spots, one of those intended for Notre Dame if it finishes ranked inside the top 14 — a guarantee specifically designated for the Irish that is part of the CFP memorandum."

Sources: SEC, Big Ten building momentum to further expand College Football Playoff to 14 or 16 teams

The conferences are pushing to assign multiple automatic qualifiers per league, with as many as four each for themselves. In short, a plethora of changes are on the table.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[JimMc]

Yahoo has a couple of articles on it. It is intended for playoffs after the 2026 season, though the SEC/B1G might have rammed it through earlier if they didn’t need 100% approval to change the upcoming playoff.

 

[sjb75]

From the article I read, it gives Notre Dame a guaranteed spot if it finishes in the top 14.

"The 14- or 16-team model would grant four automatic qualifiers each to the SEC and Big Ten; two each to the ACC and Big 12; and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. It includes one or three at-large spots, one of those intended for Notre Dame if it finishes ranked inside the top 14 — a guarantee specifically designated for the Irish that is part of the CFP memorandum."

Sources: SEC, Big Ten building momentum to further expand College Football Playoff to 14 or 16 teams

The conferences are pushing to assign multiple automatic qualifiers per league, with as many as four each for themselves. In short, a plethora of changes are on the table.

sports.yahoo.com

Thank You.

 

[savvyandsassier]

I must say, this sounds really bad for ND. One at large bid. That's literally as few as you can get before being mathematically eliminated altogether before the season even starts. So really, really bad for ND it would seem. Though as long as there's that one spot, if ND was like, undefeated, then they would get that lone at large bid. So that's a consolation. But still, not a good development for ND's continued football independence.

 

[tbonesays]

According to what I have read, the Commissioners from the SEC and B1G are about to force a revision of how the CFP teams will be selected beginning in 2026. There will be 14 teams, with 4 each going to the SEC and B1G, 2 each to the ACC and Big 12, 1 to the best team from the six other Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and one at-large spot. ND would be eligible for that 1 at-large spot, but could be left out in the cold if there was another higher ranked team that didn't meet one of the other criteria. The conferences themselves will determine who makes the playoffs from their conference and the CFP committee will basically be left to determine seeding.

I don't know if that is how it will play out, but it would seem the SEC and B1G are now calling the shots. If in fact this format is what happens, does it help or hurt ND? I can see a scenario where a 1 loss ND team loses the at-large bid to an undefeated team that doesn't play in a conference, and where that 1 loss ND team is clearly better than one of the conference teams that is selected, especially from the ACC or Big 12. Are the SEC and B1G trying to force ND's hand to join a conference? I guess UConn and UMass are the only other independents these days, so maybe this won't be an issue, but it isn't clear to me if a team from the Group of Five that doesn't get in through the conference selection criteria would be eligible for the at-large spot.

I can't tell if they are saying the highest rated independent gets a slot.

 

[Patrish]

From the article I read, it gives Notre Dame a guaranteed spot if it finishes in the top 14.

"The 14- or 16-team model would grant four automatic qualifiers each to the SEC and Big Ten; two each to the ACC and Big 12; and one to the highest-ranked Group of Five champion. It includes one or three at-large spots, one of those intended for Notre Dame if it finishes ranked inside the top 14 — a guarantee specifically designated for the Irish that is part of the CFP memorandum."

Sources: SEC, Big Ten building momentum to further expand College Football Playoff to 14 or 16 teams

The conferences are pushing to assign multiple automatic qualifiers per league, with as many as four each for themselves. In short, a plethora of changes are on the table.

sports.yahoo.com

“Sources” ?

What sources ?

Why doesn’t the reporter name the sources?

 

[THUNDERSTRUCK111]

I think at some point in the future ND will have no choice but to join a conference . Those who despise Notre Dames independence will continue to do what they can to force our hand. Jmo.

 

[savvyandsassier]

I think at some point in the future ND will have no choice but to join a conference . Those who despise Notre Dames independence will continue to do what they can to force our hand. Jmo.

I don't know if this was done in order to force ND's hand. I would guess it plays no role. And perhaps they made a special exception that they otherwise wouldn't have made to give ND any chance at all. Meaning no at large bids. And if ND is in a conference and there were no significant independents there would be none at all, just because why not have only auto bids, what's the purpose of at large bids? And they give that last 14th bid to an additional G5 school.

Bottom line, in any playoff scenario, ND is totally dependent on at large bids, which have a dubious claim on competitive legitimacy, and are thus subject to being eliminated from any playoff format.