Clemson Tigers Anticipating Another College Football Playoffs Format Shakeup

Another shakeup of the College Football Playoffs format is imminent, and here's what that would mean for the Clemson Tigers.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during Spring Practice in Clemson, S.C. Monday, March 24, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers stormed back from a season-opening drubbing at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs to find their way into the first edition of the 12-team College Football Playoffs.

Any other year, the Tigers would have been on the outside looking in, playing in a bowl game where the only prize would be pride. Instead, the Tigers got a bite at the apple on the back of their Atlantic Coast Conference Championship.

Now, a recent report indicates that the College Football Playoffs format could be changing once again. Brandon Marcello of CBS Sports has reported that the leaders among the group are "nearing a consensus" regarding yet another updated playoff bracket.

What Another CFP Format Change Means for the Clemson Tigers

Both the Southeastern Conference and the Big 10 have supported the change for some time, with the Big 12 and the ACC reportedly joining the fray in recent weeks. The new format would see the first round BYEs done away with, instead going with a straight seeding system.

In 2024, the first year with the 12-team playoff, the top four conference champions received a first-round BYE. The Oregon Ducks, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Boise State Broncos and the Arizona State Sun Devils all watched along with the nation as the remaining teams battled it out to see who would move on and face them.

While the Tigers were a conference champion as well, they were the lowest-ranked conference champion heading into the playoffs. Had straight seeding been a thing last year, there would be no change in Clemson's seeding. Moving forward, however, it would depend on where they stand in the eyes of the CFP committee.

The 12-team format's contract expires at the end of the 2025 campaign, and discussions around expanding once again to either 14 or 16 teams have taken place, including multiple automatic bids for the Power Four conferences. Administrators are hopeful that a format will receive approval by the time CFP officials meet on June 18.