CFP will push back its ranking dates
The College Football Playoff selection committee will issue its first rankings on Tuesday, Nov. 17, and the final rankings on Sunday, Dec. 20, the playoff announced Monday.
The scheduling changes reflect the shifted calendar for the upcoming regular season, which will begin and end later than originally scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the committee rankings will be pushed back two weeks from previous seasons.
After the debut rankings are announced Nov. 17, the committee will release updated rankings every Tuesday for the following four weeks: on Nov. 24, Dec. 1, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15.
The final rankings, which would include the committee’s picks for the national semifinals and remaining New Year’s Six bowls, would be held Dec. 20, one day after many conferences hold their championship games.
This would follow the same scheduling formula as seen throughout the existence of the postseason format, which made its debut in 2014.
The executive director of the playoff, Bill Hancock, said this summer that the committee will use the same protocols for ranking the Bowl Subdivision even as several leagues opt out of participating due to concerns over COVID-19.
So far, four conferences have decided against playing this fall, including the Big Ten and Pac-12. The remaining three Power Five conferences remain scheduled to begin play as early as Sept. 12. There are currently 76 FBS teams set to play this fall, down from the usual total of 130.