There appears to be a consensus regarding the new 12-team College Football Playoff: the committee should reconsider the rule that grants automatic byes to the top four conference champions. Leading this call is College GameDay anchor Rece Davis, who is actively lobbying for a change.
Davis, the host of ESPN’s flagship college football program, insists it’s crucial to “fix the seeding immediately.” He acknowledged that his recent statements on the CFP selection show were directed at the committee. In a recent interview on The Press Box podcast, he shared that he has even spoken directly with committee members to advocate for a change in the format. “The thing that in my judgment didn’t work and needs to be fixed immediately is just seed the bracket,” he said.
He elaborated, “Your reward for winning your conference is getting in the field. It didn’t make sense for deserving teams like Arizona State and Boise State to require byes, while four Big 10 teams automatically receive them.” Davis believes that if the committee is going to rank teams, they should simply seed the field accordingly.
While fans of Arizona State or Boise State may have enjoyed their teams receiving first-round byes, Davis highlights the existing disparity between the SEC and Big 10, compared to the Big 12 or ACC. “People talk about strength of schedule, and measuring that is a reasonable discussion. However, it’s clear that some conferences and a few teams stand apart from the rest,” he stated. “This doesn’t mean those teams can’t lose, but the seeding should reflect performance leading up to that point, with stronger teams benefiting from a more favorable path.”
Nick Saban reacts to the CFP Selection Committee’s decision to put SMU into the College Football Playoff field over Alabama. 🏈📺🎙️🏆 https://t.co/ZVVfzFwggY pic.twitter.com/Im5VgIPtiX
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 8, 2024
Despite being frequently accused of bias towards the SEC, Davis used the selection show in December to push for better rewards for top conferences. When asked if he aimed his comments at the CFP committee, he confirmed that he did. “I feel that my experience should hold some weight with college football leadership,” Davis said, emphasizing that he doesn’t expect the committee to have to follow his suggestions. “I’ve evaluated this and made a judgment on it, whether they agree is up to them.”
At the same time, Davis respects the committee and college football leadership, clarifying that his comments were not meant to undermine them, but rather to use his position to promote improvements. While he doesn’t expect his opinions on specific teams to be taken seriously, he believes discussions about the playoff’s structure deserve attention.
“I hope they respect me enough to consider my thoughts, but I recognize that my influence is limited. The idea that I can sway who gets in is not how I view my opinions. However, procedural matters like this warrant a conversation. I’ve told committee members that I think this is wrong, and whether they choose to act on it is up to them. I simply hope it provides them something to ponder.”
