Dallas – Conference commissioners who manage the College Football Playoff had more discussions Thursday about potential changes to how the 12-team field will be set next season, again without taking a vote on the issue.
Among the changes being considered is straight seeding based on the final rankings of the CFP selection committee. Under the 12-team playoff format that began last season, the four highest-ranked conference champions were guaranteed the top four seeds that come with first-round byes. That meant the seeding would not always be the same as those final rankings, which was probably the most controversial and confusing aspect of the expanded playoff – and happened in the first year.
A unanimous vote by the 11-member CFP Management Committee, made up of all 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, would be necessary for any changes to the playoff system for the upcoming 2025 season that is the final year of the current CFP contract.
“There’s a lot of factors in this decision, so that’s why it’s taken a little bit longer to do this,” said Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP. “But it doesn’t come down to one single factor. They’re really trying to look at it holistically and make a good decision on this because it’s going to set the tone for what happens down the road too.”
While any changes made for 2025 are not necessarily tied to what happens next, that could be part of the discussions. The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten will have more control of what happens in the next contract that runs from 2026-31.
Clark, without giving specifics, said the management committee asked for some additional information from the CFP staff. The committee had previously met Feb. 25, and is next scheduled to meet as part of an annual CFP meeting in three weeks.
“There’s not a hard deadline on that, but we want to get to that obviously so we can start setting expectations and thinking about the next season,” Clark said about the format. “But we also don’t want to rush to a decision because it’s an important one.”
Big Ten champion Oregon and SEC winner Georgia had the top two seeds last season, coinciding with them being 1-2 in the CFP’s final rankings. But ninth-ranked Mountain West champion Boise State got the No. 3 seed, and 12th-ranked Big 12 champion Arizona State got the fourth seed.
Tulane QB arrested
Tulane transfer quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended from the team indefinitely following his arrest for alleged possession of a stolen pickup truck.
The 23-year-old Finley was released without having to post bond after being booked Wednesday with possession of stolen goods valued at $25,000 or more.
Tulane issued a statement saying Finley has been suspended pending the outcome of his case. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 1.
The university declined to comment further, citing federal student privacy laws.
Finley’s listed attorney, David Courcelle, did not immediately return a phone message left by The Associated Press seeking comment.
The Green Wave conducted spring practice without Finley on Thursday, when all QB duties were handled by two other transfers, Kadin Semonza from Ball State and Donovan Leary from Illinois.
After practice, coach Jon Sumrall briefly addressed Finley’s suspension with reporters, largely deferring to the university’s official statement but adding, “When guys make mistakes, then they have to have accountability.”
Finley is now with his fifth college football program. He transferred to Tulane after spending last season with Western Kentucky, where he played in just three games before an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.
The Ponchatoula, Louisiana, native began his college career at LSU in 2020. He transferred to Auburn in 2021 and spent two seasons there before moving in 2023 to Texas State, where he passed for a career-best 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns.
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