College Football Playoff won't use conference titles as tiebreakers - ESPN

The College Football Playoff selection committee will no longer use conference championships as one of its tiebreakers because the new 12-team format guarantees bids for the five highest-ranked conference winners, the CFP announced Thursday.

The change in protocol, which was approved by the FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, was implemented at this week's annual meeting of selection committee members in Laguna Niguel, Calif.

When the commissioners decided upon the 12-team format for this fall, they also agreed to place an emphasis on the importance of winning a conference title. Because it is embedded into the model, that eliminated any need to use a conference title as a tiebreaker when comparing similar teams.

The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye. The other tiebreakers remain and include strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and comparative outcomes of common opponents (without incenting margin of victory).

The committee will release its first of six rankings on Nov. 5. The group will continue to meet in person on Mondays and Tuesdays and reveal its top 25 ranking each week on ESPN. The final ranking will be released on Selection Day, Dec. 8, when the committee will also announce the 12-team playoff bracket pairings and game sites.

The CFP also announced its recusals for this season, and that policy hasn't changed in the decade of the event's existence. It is determined annually, though, to account for new selection committee members, as their terms typically expire after three years.

This year's new committee members include former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley, former Toledo and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel; Baylor athletic