CFP 5+11 Model: Latest Updates & Future Outlook
- — A 16-team College Football Playoff (CFP) model, featuring the top five conference champions and 11 at-large teams, is gaining traction.
- A critical factor is the SEC's choice between an eight- or nine-game conference schedule.
- SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey addressed the ranking protocol, stating, "I do think there's a need for change...
A 16-team Collage Football Playoff expansion model, the primary_keyword, is gaining serious traction, with conference champions and at-large teams poised to reshape the future of the sport. News Directory 3 digs into the SEC’s pivotal scheduling decisions, which hinge on the CFP committee’s ranking clarity.Strength of schedule, a critical factor, faces scrutiny. Athletic directors and commissioners are debating the merits of eight- or nine-game conference schedules, and the importance of clear metrics.Discover how the discussions around the secondary_keyword are shaping the road ahead and influencing the 2026 playoff format before the December 1 deadline. Discover what’s next at the upcoming June 18 meeting.
College Football Playoff Expansion Model Gains Traction Amidst Scheduling Debates
Updated May 29, 2025
Destin, Fla. — A 16-team College Football Playoff (CFP) model, featuring the top five conference champions and 11 at-large teams, is gaining traction. Discussions at the SEC spring meetings highlighted that the next phase of playoff expansion for 2026 and beyond hinges on swift decisions from college football leaders regarding the College Football Playoff.
A critical factor is the SEC’s choice between an eight- or nine-game conference schedule. ACC sources suggest they might revisit this topic if playoff expansion prompts it. All conferences agree on the need for clarity in how the CFP selection committee ranks teams, especially concerning strength of schedule, a key element in College football Playoff selection.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey addressed the ranking protocol, stating, “I do think there’s a need for change… We have to have better clarity on the criteria that inform those decisions.”
Currently, strength of schedule is among several factors not explicitly weighed in the committee’s protocol.Some athletic directors in the SEC and ACC believe a nine-game conference schedule is viable if the committee doesn’t penalize teams for losing to strong opponents. The future of the College Football Playoff and strength of schedule are intertwined.
Some SEC athletic directors have indicated they woudl favor a nine-game league schedule only if the conference is guaranteed four playoff spots, a model also preferred by the Big Ten.
Texas A&M athletic director Trev Alberts emphasized the need for clear decision-making metrics, saying, “If we’re not confident that the decision-making about who gets in and why and what are the metrics around it, it’s going to be really hard for some of my colleagues to get to the nine games.”
CFP leaders have set a Dec. 1 deadline to determine the future format. Sankey aims to make a scheduling decision in 2026 but did not provide a specific timeline. FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua are scheduled to meet June 18 in Asheville, N.C.
Multiple ACC sources have expressed a preference for the 5+11 model, and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has publicly supported it. “It has always been our first choice,” Yormark told ESPN. “It’s fair and rewards on-field performance. I’m not surprised SEC coaches like it.”
UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir echoed this sentiment: “The construct of the CFP wasn’t to give one or two conferences more value… I think a five plus 11 is the best way to do that, and it gets the best teams in.”
If Sankey aligns his athletic directors with his coaches, who support the 5+11 model with eight conference games, the Big Ten might be the only league pushing for automatic qualifiers.
Sankey acknowledged the SEC’s influence, stating, “[We’re] kind of critically important… a bit important in that decision.”
The Big Ten and SEC hold significant control over the playoff’s format in 2026 and beyond, as agreed upon by other FBS commissioners and Bevacqua in a memorandum of understanding.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin emphasized the need for collaboration: “If we do want to have a national tournament, we do have to get everyone on the same page and everyone has to work together.”
Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne highlighted access and clear understanding of selection criteria as priorities. ”Trying to get some clear understanding of how is that weighed in the room is important,” Byrne said.
The SEC provided media members with data illustrating the league’s schedule strength.Sankey said the task for determining the CFP’s strength of schedule component is striking a balance “between human and machine,” referring to the old BCS computer formula.
“Whether you agree or not, that’s what we’re looking at,” Sankey said, referencing various metrics used to evaluate schedule strength.
Despite these discussions, Sankey acknowledged the possibility of the 12-team CFP remaining in place in 2026. “Can I see a scenario? Sure, I can see a scenario,” Sankey said.
The key question is whether the Power 4 leagues can resolve their differences quickly. “We need to work well together,” Sankey concluded. “The emotional maturity needed right now is higher than ever.”
What’s next
The FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua are scheduled to meet in person June 18 in Asheville,North Carolina,to continue discussions on the College football Playoff format and related issues.