Add Georgia’s Kirby Smart to the list of head coaches who prefer the proposed 5+11 model for the College Football Playoff.
Kirby Smart Wants To Expand The CFP
Georgia coach Kirby Smart told me the SEC coaches haven’t reached a consensus on the 5+11 model, but most of them favor it because it wouldn’t limit the league’s participation like AQs. Smart said he thinks “the best representative model of the best teams is probably the 5+11”
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) July 15, 2025
The College Football Playoff continues to change at a rapid pace.
2024 marked the beginning of the 12-team playoff. That contract expires at the end of the 2025 season, meaning the CFP will change in 2026.
Expansion is virtually guaranteed. Whether it’s 14 or 16 teams must still be determined.
One of the proposed formats for 2026 is the 5+11 model. In this scenario, the five highest-ranked conference champions automatically qualify for the playoffs. The remaining 11 berths will be reserved for at-large teams.
In the 5+11 model, there is no cap on the number of teams per conference. For example, a conference could send six or seven teams to the CFP, which isn’t possible in the current format.
The SEC is currently hosting its media day, and CFP expansion is one of the hot topics. Smart favors the 5+11 CFP model, but the conference has not reached a “consensus” on the proposition.
“I think the best representative model of the best teams is probably the 5-plus-11 model, but I don’t think that’s a consensus in the SEC,” Smart told ESPN’s Heather Dinich at SEC media days Tuesday. “There’s been a major strain put on the colleges that are borderline, bubble. These coaches just want an opportunity to get in that because the bigger the playoffs have gotten, it’s minimized the bowls.”
With no cap on the number of teams per conference, Smart believes this will excite more college football fan bases and give them hope, especially to teams just below the top of the conference.
“You’re sitting at a mid-tier SEC program, and you need to have a reason for your fan base to be excited,” Smart said. “You need an opportunity for your fan base to think they’ve got a chance, and that’s hard in some of the models.”
2025 College Football Playoff Rules
The 12-team College Football Playoff will move to a straight seeding model this fall, rewarding t… – via @ESPN App https://t.co/TMzDuRBneD
— Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) May 22, 2025
While a 16-team playoff can’t happen until 2026, the 12-team playoff in 2025 will differ from the one in 2024.
The 2025 CFP will move to a straight-seeding model. The committee’s top 12 teams will be seeded 1-12, regardless of conference affiliation. The top four seeds will receive a bye.
Last season, the top four seeds went to the four highest-ranked conference champions. The top five conference champions will be guaranteed a spot in the CFP. However, they might not receive a first-round bye.
Under the new rules, Notre Dame is now eligible to receive a first-round bye.
The first round will still be held at the home fields of the higher seeds. The quarterfinals and semifinals will take place at the New Year’s Six sites.
The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship will be played on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
