The 2025‑26 College Football Playoff is set to feature a record number of first‑time participants, while the most decorated programs still dominate the conversation.
Debutants in the 2025‑26 Playoff
The opening round of the 2025‑26 CFP will see the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels, No. 7 Texas A&M Aggies, No. 10 Miami Hurricanes, No. 11 Tulane Green Wave and No. 12 James Madison Dukes play their first‑ever playoff games. The quarterfinals will introduce the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders.
A Brief History of the CFP
The College Football Playoff began as a four‑team event in the 2014‑15 season, and the first ten editions maintained that format. The 2025‑26 playoff is the 12th‑ever edition and the second to feature twelve teams.
The inaugural playoff in 2014‑15 included No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Florida State and No. 4 Ohio State. Ohio State, a fourth‑seeded team that had stars like Joey Bosa, Michael Thomas and Ezekiel Elliott, captured the title by upsetting Alabama in the semifinal Sugar Bowl and defeating the Marcus Mariota‑led Ducks in the championship game.
Most Playoff Appearances
Alabama leads all programs with nine appearances out of the twelve CFPs to date. Ohio State and Clemson are tied for second with seven appearances each. Georgia and Oklahoma follow with five appearances each, and Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon have three appearances apiece.
The Indiana Hoosiers, Texas Longhorns and Washington Huskies are the only other teams to have appeared more than once, each making two playoff appearances.
Most National Championships in the CFP Era
Alabama also holds the record for the most national championships in the CFP era, with three titles won in the 2015‑16, 2017‑18 and 2020‑21 seasons. The Crimson Tide have also finished as runners‑up three times, reaching six of the eleven championship games.
Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State each have two CFP‑era national titles. Georgia is the only team to win back‑to‑back championships, while Ohio State captured the first-ever CFP title and the most recent 12‑team championship in the 2024‑25 season.
Michigan and LSU each have one championship appearance.
Champions by Season
- 2024‑25: No. 8 Ohio State over No. 7 Notre Dame
- 2023‑24: No. 1 Michigan over No. 2 Washington
- 2022‑23: No. 1 Georgia over No. 3 TCU
- 2021‑22: No. 3 Georgia over No. 1 Alabama
- 2020‑21: No. 1 Alabama over No. 3 Ohio State
- 2019‑20: No. 1 LSU over No. 3 Clemson
- 2018‑19: No. 2 Clemson over No. 1 Alabama
- 2017‑18: No. 4 Alabama over No. 3 Georgia
- 2016‑17: No. 2 Clemson over No. 1 Alabama
- 2015‑16: No. 2 Alabama over No. 1 Clemson
- 2014‑15: No. 4 Ohio State over No. 2 Oregon
Key Takeaways
- The 2025‑26 CFP will feature five programs making their first playoff appearance and a new quarterfinal participant.
- Alabama has the most appearances (nine) and the most championships (three) in the CFP era.
- Ohio State and Clemson are tied for second most appearances, each with seven.
The 2025‑26 College Football Playoff promises fresh matchups and continued dominance by the historically successful programs, underscoring the evolving landscape of college football’s championship race.
