College Football Playoff Selection Show: How to watch CFP bracket reveal

Selection Sunday in college football is almost here.

Following the release of the fifth and final in-season College Football Playoff rankings on Tuesday, the official CFP field will be announced this weekend.

>24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are

The CFP had included only four teams since debuting in the 2014-15 season, but the 2024-25 campaign features the introduction of an expanded format where 12 programs will be given a chance to compete for the national championship.

The five highest-ranked conference champions, according to the CFP selection committee, will automatically qualify for the playoff. The remaining seven spots will go to the selection committee's next seven highest-ranked teams.

Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.

College Football Playoff Dec 9

When does the CFP start? Schedule, new format breakdown and more to know

NCAA Football Dec 1

What are the matchups in college football's conference championship games?

So, which programs will make the cut? And who will be left on the outside looking in? Here's how to watch the reveal of the CFP bracket:

When will the College Football Playoff teams be announced?

The CFP field will be announced during an ESPN selection show on Sunday, Dec. 8. The show begins at 12 p.m. ET.

What TV channel is the 'College Football Playoff Selection Show' on?

The "College Football Playoff Selection Show" will air on ESPN.

Where to stream the College Football Playoff Selection Show live online

It will also be available to stream on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.

How does the College Football Playoff work?

The CFP is debuting a 5-7 format where the five highest-ranked conference champions, according to the selection committee, earn automatic bids to the postseason competition. The next seven highest-ranked teams receive the remaining bids.

Once the 12-team field is set, the four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded No. 1 to No. 4, followed by the rest of the field from No. 5 to No. 12. So while the five highest-ranked conference champions get an automatic bid, the No. 5 seed could go to a non-conference champion or independent program.

The top four seeds receive a bye to the quarterfinals, while the remaining eight teams will square off in first-round matchups where the higher seed gets home-field advantage. Bowl games are incorporated starting in the quarterfinals.

Does the College Football Playoff reseed?

There is no reseeding in the CFP, which will follow a bracket format. That means the No. 1 seed will draw the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchup, regardless of the other first-round results.

What are the College Football Playoff rankings?

The final pre-Selection Sunday rankings and bracket projection were unveiled Tuesday night (teams in bold are playing in a conference championship game this week):