The College Football Playoff officially will expand to 12 teams in time for the 2024–25 season, opting for the long-rumored 5–7 model. With this plan, the five highest-ranked conference champions receive automatic bids to the Playoff, with the top four receiving first-round byes. The fifth-highest ranked conference champion will join six at-large teams as the Nos. 5 through 12 seeds.
This obviously puts Notre Dame, college football’s most notable independent program, in an interesting predicament. The Fighting Irish, who reached the four-team Playoff twice, now have more access than ever to the field. But barring a rule change or decision to join a conference, they won’t be able to attain one of those four coveted byes.
The new rule could wind up having a major impact on the program’s national title odds if the Irish find themselves missing out on a potential bye due to a lack of conference affiliation, but you won’t find two of ESPN’s most prominent personalities arguing on behalf of the Irish.
