College Football Playoff Committee Proposes 5+7 Model, Changing Playoff Format

The College Football Playoff committee has approved a "5+7" model, which will grant automatic bids to the five highest-ranked conference champions, instead of the previous six. This change comes as the Pac-12 faces significant conference consolidation, with several teams leaving for other conferences. The new model still needs approval from the CFP board, but if implemented, it would allow non-power conference teams to have a chance at making the playoffs on an annual basis.