2009 season
120 teams across 5 tiers · ingest from CFBD regular season
- National champion
- Stanfordfrom Tier 3
- Biggest riser (1999 tiers)
- Cincinnati▲ 1 tier
- Biggest faller
- Hawaii▼ 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 | Texas | 13 | 0 | 41 | 529 | 197 | +332 | |
| 2 | Oregon | 10 | 2 | 40 | 452 | 283 | +169 | |
| 3 | Alabama | 13 | 0 | 39 | 412 | 143 | +269 | |
| 4 | Florida | 12 | 1 | 34 | 451 | 150 | +301 | |
| 5 | TCU | 12 | 0 | 33 | 488 | 149 | +339 | |
| 6 | USC | 8 | 4 | 32 | 320 | 245 | +75 | |
| 7 | Boise State | 13 | 0 | 31 | 574 | 230 | +344 | |
| 8 | Georgia Tech | 11 | 2 | 31 | 459 | 323 | +136 | |
| 9 | Ohio State | 10 | 2 | 30 | 351 | 146 | +205 | |
| 10 | Virginia Tech | 9 | 3 | 29 | 377 | 189 | +188 | |
| 11 | BYU | 10 | 2 | 26 | 417 | 260 | +157 | |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 9 | 3 | 25 | 393 | 269 | +124 | |
| 13 | Oregon State | 8 | 4 | 24 | 389 | 281 | +108 | |
| 14 | California | 8 | 4 | 24 | 351 | 294 | +57 | |
| 15 | Penn State | 10 | 2 | 23 | 356 | 142 | +214 | |
| 16 | LSU | 9 | 3 | 23 | 306 | 192 | +114 | |
| 17 | Georgia | 7 | 5 | 23 | 332 | 317 | +15 | |
| 18 | Texas Tech | 8 | 4 | 22 | 440 | 261 | +179 | |
| 19 | Boston College | 8 | 4 | 20 | 309 | 233 | +76 | |
| 20 | Missouri | 8 | 4 | 19 | 364 | 295 | +69 | |
| 21 | Oklahoma | 7 | 5 | 18 | 373 | 162 | +211 | Survived |
| 22 | Hawaii | 6 | 7 | 8 | 296 | 383 | -87 | Relegated |
| 23 | Louisville | 4 | 8 | 8 | 217 | 315 | -98 | Relegated |
| 24 | Arizona State | 4 | 8 | 6 | 268 | 253 | +15 | Relegated |
Tier 224 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cincinnati | 12 | 0 | 39 | 478 | 249 | +229 | Promoted |
| 2 | Miami (FL) | 9 | 3 | 29 | 380 | 268 | +112 | Promoted |
| 3 | Iowa | 10 | 2 | 27 | 277 | 186 | +91 | |
| 4 | Arizona | 8 | 4 | 27 | 356 | 278 | +78 | |
| 5 | West Virginia | 9 | 3 | 27 | 319 | 249 | +70 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 6 | Pittsburgh | 9 | 3 | 25 | 398 | 240 | +158 | |
| 7 | Clemson | 8 | 5 | 25 | 415 | 273 | +142 | |
| 8 | Utah | 9 | 3 | 22 | 351 | 236 | +115 | |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 6 | 6 | 20 | 361 | 311 | +50 | |
| 10 | UCLA | 6 | 6 | 19 | 256 | 255 | +1 | |
| 11 | Tennessee | 7 | 5 | 18 | 367 | 252 | +115 | |
| 12 | Southern Miss | 7 | 5 | 18 | 396 | 294 | +102 | |
| 13 | Auburn | 7 | 5 | 17 | 395 | 323 | +72 | |
| 14 | South Florida | 7 | 5 | 17 | 317 | 254 | +63 | |
| 15 | Arkansas | 7 | 5 | 16 | 448 | 309 | +139 | |
| 16 | Michigan State | 6 | 6 | 16 | 355 | 301 | +54 | |
| 17 | Florida State | 6 | 6 | 16 | 358 | 369 | -11 | |
| 18 | Fresno State | 8 | 4 | 14 | 412 | 334 | +78 | |
| 19 | Texas A&M | 6 | 6 | 13 | 407 | 392 | +15 | |
| 20 | Tulsa | 5 | 7 | 11 | 351 | 328 | +23 | |
| 21 | Michigan | 5 | 7 | 9 | 354 | 330 | +24 | Survived |
| 22 | Colorado | 3 | 9 | 9 | 267 | 346 | -79 | Relegated |
| 23 | Virginia | 3 | 9 | 3 | 232 | 316 | -84 | Relegated |
| 24 | Rice | 2 | 10 | 3 | 219 | 517 | -298 | Relegated |
Tier 326 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford | 8 | 4 | 29 | 434 | 314 | +120 | Promoted |
| 2 | Oklahoma State | 9 | 3 | 29 | 362 | 261 | +101 | Promoted |
| 3 | Nebraska | 9 | 4 | 25 | 319 | 146 | +173 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | East Carolina | 9 | 4 | 25 | 361 | 287 | +74 | |
| 5 | Ole Miss | 8 | 4 | 20 | 363 | 223 | +140 | |
| 6 | Northwestern | 8 | 4 | 19 | 302 | 280 | +22 | |
| 7 | Nevada | 8 | 4 | 17 | 487 | 326 | +161 | |
| 8 | UCF | 8 | 4 | 17 | 316 | 248 | +68 | |
| 9 | Rutgers | 8 | 4 | 16 | 330 | 209 | +121 | |
| 10 | South Carolina | 7 | 5 | 16 | 261 | 245 | +16 | |
| 11 | Purdue | 5 | 7 | 16 | 334 | 349 | -15 | |
| 12 | Air Force | 7 | 5 | 13 | 339 | 184 | +155 | |
| 13 | Kansas State | 6 | 6 | 12 | 276 | 280 | -4 | |
| 14 | Wake Forest | 5 | 7 | 10 | 316 | 315 | +1 | |
| 15 | Toledo | 5 | 7 | 10 | 356 | 452 | -96 | |
| 16 | NC State | 5 | 7 | 9 | 364 | 374 | -10 | |
| 17 | Marshall | 6 | 6 | 9 | 262 | 299 | -37 | |
| 18 | Kansas | 5 | 7 | 8 | 353 | 341 | +12 | |
| 19 | Western Michigan | 5 | 7 | 8 | 296 | 330 | -34 | |
| 20 | Syracuse | 4 | 8 | 8 | 254 | 335 | -81 | |
| 21 | Colorado State | 3 | 9 | 7 | 260 | 358 | -98 | |
| 22 | Illinois | 3 | 9 | 6 | 290 | 362 | -72 | |
| 23 | Maryland | 2 | 10 | 4 | 256 | 375 | -119 | Relegated |
| 24 | New Mexico | 1 | 11 | 3 | 196 | 431 | -235 | Survived |
| 25 | Memphis | 2 | 10 | 2 | 262 | 418 | -156 | Relegated |
| 26 | Washington State | 1 | 11 | 1 | 144 | 462 | -318 | Relegated |
Tier 426 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | 10 | 3 | 27 | 571 | 374 | +197 | Promoted |
| 2 | Central Michigan | 11 | 2 | 23 | 431 | 224 | +207 | Promoted |
| 3 | North Carolina | 8 | 4 | 20 | 292 | 203 | +89 | |
| 4 | Navy | 9 | 4 | 19 | 357 | 259 | +98 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 5 | UConn | 7 | 5 | 19 | 385 | 300 | +85 | |
| 6 | Kentucky | 7 | 5 | 19 | 326 | 274 | +52 | |
| 7 | Washington | 5 | 7 | 18 | 313 | 320 | -7 | |
| 8 | Minnesota | 6 | 6 | 16 | 259 | 295 | -36 | |
| 9 | UAB | 5 | 7 | 15 | 333 | 388 | -55 | |
| 10 | Middle Tennessee | 9 | 3 | 14 | 374 | 276 | +98 | |
| 11 | Ohio | 9 | 4 | 14 | 330 | 277 | +53 | |
| 12 | Bowling Green | 7 | 5 | 14 | 328 | 314 | +14 | |
| 13 | Northern Illinois | 7 | 5 | 13 | 369 | 254 | +115 | |
| 14 | UNLV | 5 | 7 | 13 | 298 | 389 | -91 | |
| 15 | Troy | 9 | 3 | 12 | 397 | 343 | +54 | |
| 16 | Wyoming | 6 | 6 | 12 | 203 | 327 | -124 | |
| 17 | UTEP | 4 | 8 | 10 | 358 | 402 | -44 | |
| 18 | Mississippi State | 5 | 7 | 9 | 307 | 321 | -14 | |
| 19 | Louisiana Tech | 4 | 8 | 7 | 350 | 309 | +41 | |
| 20 | Buffalo | 5 | 7 | 7 | 289 | 285 | +4 | |
| 21 | San Diego State | 4 | 8 | 7 | 280 | 366 | -86 | |
| 22 | Florida Atlantic | 5 | 7 | 5 | 329 | 405 | -76 | |
| 23 | Vanderbilt | 2 | 10 | 4 | 196 | 280 | -84 | Survived |
| 24 | Miami (OH) | 1 | 11 | 3 | 187 | 410 | -223 | Relegated |
| 25 | Akron | 3 | 9 | 2 | 231 | 345 | -114 | Relegated |
| 26 | Ball State | 2 | 10 | 1 | 230 | 338 | -108 | Relegated |
Tier 520 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMU | 7 | 5 | 16 | 335 | 349 | -14 | Promoted |
| 2 | Idaho | 7 | 5 | 16 | 382 | 426 | -44 | Promoted |
| 3 | Temple | 9 | 3 | 13 | 363 | 260 | +103 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | Iowa State | 6 | 6 | 10 | 253 | 271 | -18 | |
| 5 | Baylor | 4 | 8 | 9 | 249 | 327 | -78 | |
| 6 | Duke | 5 | 7 | 8 | 302 | 340 | -38 | |
| 7 | Kent State | 5 | 7 | 8 | 231 | 269 | -38 | |
| 8 | Indiana | 4 | 8 | 8 | 282 | 354 | -72 | |
| 9 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 6 | 6 | 7 | 266 | 364 | -98 | |
| 10 | Louisiana-Monroe | 6 | 6 | 6 | 307 | 328 | -21 | |
| 11 | Army | 5 | 7 | 6 | 184 | 263 | -79 | |
| 12 | Utah State | 4 | 8 | 4 | 349 | 408 | -59 | |
| 13 | New Mexico State | 3 | 10 | 4 | 149 | 411 | -262 | |
| 14 | Arkansas State | 4 | 8 | 3 | 272 | 279 | -7 | |
| 15 | North Texas | 2 | 10 | 3 | 319 | 427 | -108 | |
| 16 | Florida International | 3 | 9 | 3 | 275 | 424 | -149 | |
| 17 | Tulane | 3 | 9 | 3 | 193 | 440 | -247 | |
| 18 | San Jose State | 2 | 10 | 1 | 165 | 414 | -249 | |
| 19 | Eastern Michigan | 0 | 12 | 0 | 197 | 459 | -262 | |
| 20 | Western Kentucky | 0 | 12 | -3 | 245 | 475 | -230 |
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: Stanford.
Round 1
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
Temple36
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: Oklahoma
Semifinal
Tier 2bottom 4 · survivor: Michigan
Tier 3bottom 4 · survivor: New Mexico
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Tier 4bottom 4 · survivor: Vanderbilt
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
2010 starting tiers
Cascade from 2009: promoted teams move up, relegated teams move down, and FBS membership is reconciled against CFBD's roster for the next year.
Premier24
- Texas1
- Oregon2
- Alabama3
- Cincinnati4
- Florida5
- TCU6
- USC7
- Boise State8
- Georgia Tech9
- Ohio State10
- Virginia Tech11
- Miami (FL)12
- West Virginia13
- BYU14
- Wisconsin15
- Oregon State16
- California17
- Penn State18
- LSU19
- Georgia20
- Texas Tech21
- Boston College22
- Missouri23
- Oklahoma24
Tier 224
- Stanford1
- Oklahoma State2
- Iowa3
- Arizona4
- Nebraska5
- Pittsburgh6
- Clemson7
- Utah8
- Notre Dame9
- UCLA10
- Tennessee11
- Southern Miss12
- Auburn13
- South Florida14
- Arkansas15
- Michigan State16
- Florida State17
- Fresno State18
- Texas A&M19
- Tulsa20
- Michigan21
- Hawaii22
- Louisville23
- Arizona State24
Tier 326
- Houston1
- East Carolina2
- Central Michigan3
- Ole Miss4
- Navy5
- Northwestern6
- Nevada7
- UCF8
- Rutgers9
- South Carolina10
- Purdue11
- Air Force12
- Kansas State13
- Wake Forest14
- Toledo15
- NC State16
- Marshall17
- Colorado18
- Kansas19
- Western Michigan20
- Syracuse21
- Colorado State22
- Illinois23
- Virginia24
- New Mexico25
- Rice26
Tier 426
- North Carolina1
- UConn2
- Kentucky3
- Washington4
- SMU5
- Minnesota6
- Idaho7
- UAB8
- Middle Tennessee9
- Ohio10
- Bowling Green11
- Northern Illinois12
- Temple13
- UNLV14
- Troy15
- Wyoming16
- UTEP17
- Mississippi State18
- Louisiana Tech19
- Buffalo20
- San Diego State21
- Florida Atlantic22
- Vanderbilt23
- Maryland24
- Memphis25
- Washington State26
Tier 520
- Iowa State1
- Baylor2
- Duke3
- Kent State4
- Indiana5
- Louisiana-Lafayette6
- Louisiana-Monroe7
- Army8
- Utah State9
- New Mexico State10
- Arkansas State11
- North Texas12
- Florida International13
- Miami (OH)14
- Tulane15
- Akron16
- Ball State17
- San Jose State18
- Eastern Michigan19
- Western Kentucky20