The 2025 regular season is nearing its conclusion, and the College Football Playoff Selection Committee will once again take center stage in determining the playoff picture. The committee has faced heavy criticism nearly every season since its debut in 2014, as fans often voice frustration regarding their decisions.
The criticism even pushed officials to expand the playoff field from four to 12 teams ahead of the 2024 season.
Why Does the College Football Playoff Selection Committee Exist?
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee was established to replace the computer-based Bowl Championship Series system, which used to depend on polls and algorithms to determine playoff rankings. The BCS system was heavily criticized for its controversies and frequent exclusion of some deserving teams.
The CFP committee applies human judgment to identify the best teams for the national championship while setting the seeding for the playoff bracket.
Unlike the BCS models, the committee members assess various critical factors that extend beyond numbers. It includes things like conference titles, strength of schedule, head-to-head games, comparative results against common opponents, and big injuries impacting team performance.
The committee votes by secret ballot, and each week’s rankings begin from scratch. Their motto is to crown a single, undisputed national champion by creating a transparent way to the title game while also maintaining fairness through its recusal policy. The policy reads:
“A member shall be deemed fully recused from the evaluation of a team if the member: (a) receives direct compensation from the institution in question; or (b) has an immediate family member who is a football student-athlete, football staff member, or senior administrator at the institution.”
A fully recused member cannot participate in any voting or be present during group discussions about that team’s ranking or postseason placement. Meanwhile, a committee member is considered partially recused if they have a secondary connection to a program. Such members may take part in conversations about the team but are prohibited from voting on its ranking.
This season’s committee is chaired by Baylor Athletic Director Mack Rhoades. It initially consisted of 13 members, but the group is temporarily down to 12 after Randall McDaniel stepped aside this fall for personal reasons. He is expected to return for the 2026-27 season.
The first College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings will be revealed Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. It comes three days after the committee’s initial meeting of the season at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium.
The final rankings will be announced on Selection Day, Sunday, December 7.