Bracket format
PresetCollege Football Playoff
12-team CFP. First round on campus, then bowls.
Free CFP bracket maker for the 12-team College Football Playoff. Top four seeds bye into the quarterfinals; the bottom eight play first-round games on campus, winners head to the bowl sites.
Walkthrough
How this format works
South region
16 seeds, one regional champion
East region
16 seeds, one regional champion
Midwest region
16 seeds, one regional champion
West region
16 seeds, one regional champion
Four regions each play down to a regional champion, then the Final Four decides the title.
Build one step by step
From an empty editor to a finished, printable cfp bracket bracket.
- 1
Set your field
March Madness style brackets seed a large field, usually 64 teams, into four regions.
- 2
Seed each region 1 to 16
Inside every region, seed 1 plays seed 16, 2 plays 15, and so on down the line.
- 3
Generate the bracket
Each region plays as its own single elimination bracket down to one regional champion.
- 4
Reach the Final Four
The four regional champions meet in the national semifinals.
- 5
Crown a champion
Two semifinals, then one final. Print it and track every upset as the rounds go.
About
About this format
The CFP went to 12 teams in 2024. Top 4 seeds get a quarterfinal bye. Seeds 5–12 play first round at the higher seed's home stadium: 5 hosts 12, 6 hosts 11, 7 hosts 10, 8 hosts 9. From the quarterfinals on, games rotate through the major bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Peach, Orange, Cotton), with the championship at a neutral site. Use this for a tailgate wallchart, a CFP pool with friends, or a paper picksheet before kickoff.
Features
What you get
- 12-team shape with seeds 1–4 byes built in
- Single elim, score-based advancement
- Round labels: First Round, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Championship
- Print for the tailgate or share a link for picks
- Same editor as our other bracket templates
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does the 12-team CFP work?
Top 4 seeds get a bye to the quarterfinals. Seeds 5–12 play first round on campus: 5 hosts 12, 6 hosts 11, 7 hosts 10, 8 hosts 9. Winners face the top four at the bowl sites in the quarterfinals.
Can I run a CFP pool with this?
Yes. Make a copy of the bracket per person, have them fill in picks, then print everyone's sheet to compare. Auto-scoring against real results is on the roadmap.
Related bracket formats
Pre-built brackets you can grab
Ready to build a cfp bracket bracket?
Open the editor, customize teams and seeds, score matches as you play.
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