1998 season
112 teams across 5 tiers · ingest from CFBD regular season
- National champion
- UCLAfrom Premier
- Biggest riser (1999 tiers)
- USC▲ 1 tier
- Biggest faller
- Virginia Tech▼ 1 tier
Regular season champions
Tier winners — the top finisher in each tier on points, before any promotion playoff or main-playoff games.
Tier standings
Final regular-season standings within each tier. Promoted rows tinted green, relegated rows tinted red, survival winners tinted amber.
Premier24 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida State | 11 | 1 | 40 | 385 | 138 | +247 | |
| 2 | Tennessee | 11 | 0 | 39 | 384 | 159 | +225 | |
| 3 | UCLA | 10 | 1 | 35 | 445 | 302 | +143 | |
| 4 | Ohio State | 10 | 1 | 34 | 406 | 130 | +276 | |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 10 | 2 | 34 | 285 | 157 | +128 | |
| 6 | Kansas State | 11 | 0 | 32 | 543 | 124 | +419 | |
| 7 | Arizona | 11 | 1 | 31 | 416 | 216 | +200 | |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 10 | 1 | 30 | 344 | 112 | +232 | |
| 9 | Nebraska | 9 | 3 | 29 | 383 | 183 | +200 | |
| 10 | Notre Dame | 9 | 2 | 29 | 300 | 213 | +87 | |
| 11 | Georgia Tech | 9 | 2 | 28 | 391 | 267 | +124 | |
| 12 | Tulane | 11 | 0 | 26 | 499 | 268 | +231 | |
| 13 | Florida | 9 | 2 | 26 | 349 | 155 | +194 | |
| 14 | Arkansas | 9 | 2 | 26 | 359 | 182 | +177 | |
| 15 | Virginia | 9 | 2 | 26 | 325 | 212 | +113 | |
| 16 | Michigan | 9 | 3 | 26 | 314 | 204 | +110 | |
| 17 | Air Force | 10 | 1 | 25 | 403 | 147 | +256 | |
| 18 | Penn State | 8 | 3 | 25 | 291 | 169 | +122 | |
| 19 | Texas | 8 | 3 | 25 | 399 | 326 | +73 | |
| 20 | Syracuse | 8 | 3 | 24 | 468 | 269 | +199 | |
| 21 | Virginia Tech | 8 | 3 | 23 | 343 | 142 | +201 | Relegated |
| 22 | Purdue | 8 | 4 | 23 | 407 | 242 | +165 | Relegated |
| 23 | Georgia | 8 | 3 | 23 | 257 | 189 | +68 | Survived |
| 24 | Missouri | 7 | 4 | 19 | 300 | 205 | +95 | Relegated |
Tier 224 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC | 8 | 4 | 29 | 327 | 213 | +114 | Promoted |
| 2 | Oregon | 8 | 3 | 24 | 430 | 277 | +153 | Promoted |
| 3 | Alabama | 7 | 4 | 23 | 244 | 249 | -5 | |
| 4 | Colorado State | 8 | 4 | 22 | 345 | 263 | +82 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 5 | Miami (OH) | 10 | 1 | 21 | 317 | 142 | +175 | |
| 6 | West Virginia | 8 | 3 | 21 | 379 | 233 | +146 | |
| 7 | Mississippi State | 8 | 3 | 21 | 325 | 194 | +131 | |
| 8 | NC State | 7 | 4 | 21 | 343 | 306 | +37 | |
| 9 | Wyoming | 8 | 3 | 21 | 222 | 215 | +7 | |
| 10 | Miami (FL) | 8 | 3 | 19 | 402 | 275 | +127 | |
| 11 | Texas Tech | 7 | 4 | 19 | 297 | 220 | +77 | |
| 12 | Michigan State | 6 | 6 | 19 | 336 | 294 | +42 | |
| 13 | Colorado | 7 | 4 | 19 | 251 | 210 | +41 | |
| 14 | Kentucky | 7 | 4 | 18 | 417 | 349 | +68 | |
| 15 | BYU | 9 | 3 | 17 | 362 | 229 | +133 | |
| 16 | Southern Miss | 7 | 4 | 16 | 349 | 196 | +153 | |
| 17 | Marshall | 10 | 1 | 16 | 334 | 190 | +144 | |
| 18 | TCU | 6 | 5 | 16 | 239 | 216 | +23 | |
| 19 | Washington | 6 | 5 | 16 | 278 | 298 | -20 | |
| 20 | San Diego State | 7 | 4 | 15 | 230 | 224 | +6 | |
| 21 | North Carolina | 6 | 5 | 14 | 268 | 270 | -2 | Survived |
| 22 | UCF | 9 | 2 | 13 | 393 | 209 | +184 | Relegated |
| 23 | LSU | 4 | 7 | 12 | 337 | 279 | +58 | Relegated |
| 24 | Idaho | 8 | 3 | 10 | 350 | 282 | +68 | Relegated |
Tier 326 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rice | 5 | 6 | 15 | 235 | 257 | -22 | Promoted |
| 2 | Ole Miss | 6 | 5 | 14 | 245 | 256 | -11 | Promoted |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 5 | 6 | 14 | 184 | 229 | -45 | |
| 4 | California | 5 | 6 | 14 | 183 | 251 | -68 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 5 | Utah | 7 | 4 | 13 | 339 | 227 | +112 | |
| 6 | Louisville | 7 | 4 | 13 | 444 | 387 | +57 | |
| 7 | Toledo | 7 | 4 | 13 | 212 | 193 | +19 | |
| 8 | Oklahoma State | 5 | 6 | 13 | 303 | 296 | +7 | |
| 9 | Arizona State | 5 | 6 | 13 | 333 | 338 | -5 | |
| 10 | Oregon State | 5 | 6 | 13 | 286 | 291 | -5 | |
| 11 | Nevada | 6 | 5 | 11 | 371 | 316 | +55 | |
| 12 | Western Michigan | 7 | 4 | 11 | 360 | 312 | +48 | |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5 | 6 | 11 | 229 | 249 | -20 | |
| 14 | Bowling Green | 5 | 6 | 11 | 292 | 312 | -20 | |
| 15 | SMU | 5 | 7 | 11 | 225 | 248 | -23 | |
| 16 | Boston College | 4 | 7 | 11 | 273 | 311 | -38 | |
| 17 | Fresno State | 5 | 6 | 10 | 265 | 225 | +40 | |
| 18 | East Carolina | 6 | 5 | 10 | 274 | 297 | -23 | |
| 19 | Auburn | 3 | 8 | 10 | 166 | 235 | -69 | |
| 20 | Indiana | 4 | 7 | 9 | 245 | 305 | -60 | |
| 21 | Stanford | 3 | 8 | 9 | 261 | 365 | -104 | |
| 22 | Louisiana Tech | 6 | 6 | 8 | 493 | 402 | +91 | |
| 23 | Ohio | 5 | 6 | 8 | 269 | 303 | -34 | Relegated |
| 24 | Tulsa | 4 | 7 | 8 | 222 | 258 | -36 | Survived |
| 25 | Kansas | 4 | 7 | 8 | 280 | 341 | -61 | Relegated |
| 26 | Rutgers | 5 | 6 | 7 | 206 | 376 | -170 | Relegated |
Tier 426 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Michigan | 6 | 5 | 8 | 229 | 253 | -24 | Promoted |
| 2 | San Jose State | 4 | 8 | 8 | 274 | 385 | -111 | Promoted |
| 3 | Washington State | 3 | 8 | 8 | 223 | 349 | -126 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | Houston | 3 | 8 | 7 | 254 | 317 | -63 | |
| 5 | North Texas | 3 | 8 | 7 | 173 | 297 | -124 | |
| 6 | Baylor | 2 | 9 | 7 | 195 | 323 | -128 | |
| 7 | Boise State | 6 | 5 | 6 | 329 | 350 | -21 | |
| 8 | Duke | 4 | 7 | 6 | 229 | 319 | -90 | |
| 9 | New Mexico State | 3 | 8 | 6 | 331 | 424 | -93 | |
| 10 | Iowa State | 3 | 8 | 6 | 221 | 328 | -107 | |
| 11 | Iowa | 3 | 8 | 6 | 172 | 287 | -115 | |
| 12 | Army | 3 | 8 | 5 | 257 | 325 | -68 | |
| 13 | Northwestern | 3 | 9 | 5 | 214 | 337 | -123 | |
| 14 | Illinois | 3 | 8 | 5 | 149 | 326 | -177 | |
| 15 | Akron | 4 | 7 | 4 | 265 | 299 | -34 | |
| 16 | Clemson | 3 | 8 | 4 | 218 | 272 | -54 | |
| 17 | UTEP | 3 | 8 | 4 | 226 | 305 | -79 | |
| 18 | Navy | 3 | 8 | 4 | 255 | 376 | -121 | |
| 19 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 9 | 4 | 142 | 369 | -227 | |
| 20 | Maryland | 3 | 8 | 3 | 202 | 290 | -88 | |
| 21 | Louisiana-Monroe | 5 | 6 | 3 | 227 | 322 | -95 | |
| 22 | Wake Forest | 3 | 8 | 3 | 235 | 335 | -100 | |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | 2 | 9 | 2 | 234 | 334 | -100 | Survived |
| 24 | Memphis | 2 | 9 | 2 | 226 | 340 | -114 | Relegated |
| 25 | UAB | 4 | 7 | 1 | 237 | 308 | -71 | Relegated |
| 26 | South Carolina | 1 | 10 | 1 | 207 | 330 | -123 | Relegated |
Tier 512 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas State | 4 | 8 | 5 | 216 | 385 | -169 | Promoted |
| 2 | Utah State | 3 | 8 | 4 | 237 | 309 | -72 | Promoted |
| 3 | Temple | 2 | 9 | 4 | 198 | 360 | -162 | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 2 | 9 | 3 | 259 | 456 | -197 | |
| 5 | Eastern Michigan | 3 | 8 | 2 | 216 | 309 | -93 | |
| 6 | New Mexico | 3 | 9 | 2 | 274 | 397 | -123 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 7 | Ball State | 1 | 10 | 1 | 150 | 343 | -193 | |
| 8 | Northern Illinois | 2 | 9 | 0 | 160 | 329 | -169 | |
| 9 | UNLV | 0 | 11 | 0 | 156 | 389 | -233 | |
| 10 | Hawaii | 0 | 12 | 0 | 149 | 422 | -273 | |
| 11 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 2 | 9 | -2 | 199 | 453 | -254 | |
| 12 | Kent State | 0 | 11 | -3 | 149 | 454 | -305 |
Main playoff
Twelve-team championship bracket: top 8 from Premier (seeds 1–8), top 2 from Tier 2 (seeds 9–10), top 2 from Tier 3 (seeds 11–12). Seeds 1–4 receive first-round byes. Champion: UCLA.
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final
Promotion playoffs
Each lower tier sends two teams up automatically (ranks 1 and 2); ranks 3–6 contest a single-elimination playoff for the third promotion spot.
Tier 2→ up to Tier 1
Semifinal
Final
Tier 3→ up to Tier 2
Semifinal
Final
Tier 4→ up to Tier 3
Semifinal
Final
Tier 5→ up to Tier 4
Semifinal
Final
Relegation playoffs
Bottom 4 of each upper tier play a survival bracket. The Survival Final winner stays up; the other three drop down.
Premierbottom 4 · survivor: Georgia
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Tier 2bottom 4 · survivor: North Carolina
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Tier 3bottom 4 · survivor: Tulsa
Tier 4bottom 4 · survivor: Pittsburgh
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
1999 starting tiers
Cascade from 1998: promoted teams move up, relegated teams move down, and FBS membership is reconciled against CFBD's roster for the next year.
Premier24
- Florida State1
- Tennessee2
- UCLA3
- Ohio State4
- Texas A&M5
- Kansas State6
- Arizona7
- Wisconsin8
- Nebraska9
- USC10
- Notre Dame11
- Georgia Tech12
- Tulane13
- Florida14
- Arkansas15
- Virginia16
- Michigan17
- Air Force18
- Penn State19
- Texas20
- Syracuse21
- Oregon22
- Georgia23
- Colorado State24
Tier 224
- Virginia Tech1
- Purdue2
- Alabama3
- Miami (OH)4
- West Virginia5
- Mississippi State6
- NC State7
- Wyoming8
- Miami (FL)9
- Missouri10
- Texas Tech11
- Michigan State12
- Colorado13
- Kentucky14
- BYU15
- Southern Miss16
- Marshall17
- TCU18
- Washington19
- San Diego State20
- Rice21
- North Carolina22
- Ole Miss23
- California24
Tier 326
- Oklahoma1
- UCF2
- Utah3
- Louisville4
- Toledo5
- Oklahoma State6
- Arizona State7
- Oregon State8
- LSU9
- Nevada10
- Western Michigan11
- Minnesota12
- Bowling Green13
- SMU14
- Boston College15
- Idaho16
- Fresno State17
- East Carolina18
- Auburn19
- Indiana20
- Stanford21
- Louisiana Tech22
- Central Michigan23
- Tulsa24
- San Jose State25
- Washington State26
Tier 426
- Ohio1
- Kansas2
- Houston3
- North Texas4
- Baylor5
- Rutgers6
- Boise State7
- Duke8
- New Mexico State9
- Iowa State10
- Iowa11
- Army12
- Northwestern13
- Arkansas State14
- Illinois15
- Akron16
- Clemson17
- Utah State18
- UTEP19
- Navy20
- Vanderbilt21
- Maryland22
- Louisiana-Monroe23
- Wake Forest24
- Pittsburgh25
- New Mexico26
Tier 512
- Temple1
- Cincinnati2
- Eastern Michigan3
- Memphis4
- UAB5
- South Carolina6
- Ball State7
- Northern Illinois8
- UNLV9
- Hawaii10
- Louisiana-Lafayette11
- Kent State12