A new college football season brings CFP tweaks, new rules and jersey patches among the changes
A new college football season brings plenty of hopes, discussion and changes. Here are the most notable offseason developments to know about…
The upcoming college football season is set to bring a range of adjustments and modifications to the sport. First and foremost, the College Football Playoff (CFP) has confirmed that automatic bids will continue to be awarded to the champions of the Power Five conferences: the Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12, and the newly reinstated Pac-12. The next seven highest-ranked teams, regardless of conference affiliation, will then complete the roster of the 12-team bracket.
Notre Dame, in particular, will benefit from a new rule that guarantees a playoff berth for the Fighting Irish if they finish the season ranked within the top 12 by the CFP committee. This change aims to provide a clearer path to postseason play for the team, following its near-miss in the previous year despite being ranked as high as No. 11.
Additionally, targeting offenses will be subject to stricter consequences in the 2026 season. A player's first targeting infraction will no longer result in automatic suspension from the subsequent game. However, a second offense will lead to disqualification for the first half of the next contest, while a third offense will result in a suspension for the following game. These rule adjustments aim to address the issue of targeting and promote fair competition on the field.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
