College Football Playoff Committe agrees to new seeding model

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - More changes are coming to college football. The expanded 12-team playoff format shook up how teams qualify for the postseason — and the College Football Playoff Committee has now tweaked that format, which could make it even tougher for smaller programs to break through.

The dream of making the College Football Playoff has always been a long shot for Group of Five teams. But now, the road is getting even tougher. With the expansion, many thought opportunity was finally knocking but a recent change to the selection format could raise concerns for programs like South Alabama.

Instead of guaranteeing a spot to the six highest-ranked conference champions, the format now includes only five conference champions — opening the door for more power conference teams and closing it for the underdogs. That means just one guaranteed spot is realistically available to all Group of Five schools combined. For the Jags, that leaves little room for error — even with a conference title.

In other words, to make the playoff, a school like South Alabama likely needs to win the Sun Belt, go undefeated, and hope national rankings fall in their favor. It’s a high bar, and while Power Five schools can rely on strength of schedule and multiple playoff bids, Group of Five teams are left chasing perfection.

One spot. Dozens of teams chasing it. The playoff is bigger — but for teams like South Alabama, the margin is smaller than ever.

There could be more changes on the horizon. College Football Playoff officials are already discussing expanding the field to 14 — or even 16 — teams in the coming years. That move could give more access to Group of Five programs like South.