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Heather Dinich, ESPN Senior Writer
The College Football Playoff selection committee will no longer use conference championships as one of its tiebreakers because the new 12-team format guarantees bids for the five highest-ranked conference winners, the CFP announced Thursday.
The change in protocol, which was approved by the FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua, was implemented at this week’s annual meeting of selection committee members in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
When the commissioners decided upon the 12-team format for this fall, they also agreed to place an emphasis on the importance of winning a conference title. Because it is embedded into the model, that eliminated any need to use a conference title as a tiebreaker when comparing similar teams.
The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye. The other tiebreakers remain and include strength of schedule, head-to-head results, and comparative outcomes of common opponents (without incenting margin of victory).
The committee will release its first of six rankings on Nov. 5. The group will continue to meet in person on Mondays and Tuesdays and reveal its top 25 ranking each week on ESPN. The final ranking will be released on Selection Day, Dec. 8, when the committee will also announce the 12-team playoff bracket pairings and game sites.
The CFP also announced its recusals for this season, and that policy hasn’t changed in the decade of the event’s existence. It is determined annually, though, to account for new selection committee members, as their terms typically expire after three years.
This year’s new committee members include former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley, former Toledo and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel; Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades, Virginia athletic director Carla Williams, and Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek.
Recused committee members aren’t allowed to vote for any teams they are recused from or be in the room during any discussions regarding that team’s selection or ranking, but they are allowed to answer “only factual questions” about that school. They’re also not allowed to participate in any discussions about the bowl placement of their recused schools.
The six acting athletic directors on the 13-member committee are all recused from their respective schools — Yurachek (Arkansas); Rhoades (Baylor); Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Sayler; Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel; Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk; and Virginia athletic director Carla Williams.
The following committee members are also recused from these respective schools: Jim Grobe (Marshall); Pinkel (Missouri); Chris Ault (Nevada); Riley (Oregon State); former sports reporter Kelly Whiteside (Rutgers); Yurachek (SMU, South Carolina); Gladchuk (Texas A&M); Ault (UCLA).
Committee members are recused if an immediate family member is paid by a school, provides any professional services for a school, or is on the football coaching staff or is a player.
The preseason meeting in California is usually the last time the full group meets before they convene again during the season to begin their weekly rankings.
“It is always great to get everyone together before the season starts to welcome our new members and review our procedures in detail,” said Manuel, who will be serving his first year as committee chair, in a prepared statement. “The work of the College Football Playoff selection committee has a solid foundation with its processes and protocols, and the committee members are looking forward to ranking the top 25 teams this season as we kick off the first year of the 12-team format.”