2016 season
128 teams across 5 tiers · ingest from CFBD regular season
- National champion
- Alabamafrom Premier
- Biggest riser (1999 tiers)
- Washington▲ 1 tier
- Biggest faller
- Notre Dame▼ 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 | Ohio State | 11 | 1 | 42 | 512 | 170 | +342 | |
| 2 | Alabama | 13 | 0 | 39 | 527 | 153 | +374 | |
| 3 | Stanford | 9 | 3 | 37 | 317 | 242 | +75 | |
| 4 | Clemson | 12 | 1 | 35 | 522 | 239 | +283 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 10 | 2 | 35 | 536 | 356 | +180 | |
| 6 | USC | 9 | 3 | 34 | 395 | 266 | +129 | |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 10 | 3 | 33 | 373 | 202 | +171 | |
| 8 | Michigan | 10 | 2 | 31 | 492 | 150 | +342 | |
| 9 | Houston | 9 | 3 | 26 | 456 | 271 | +185 | |
| 10 | Florida State | 9 | 3 | 26 | 423 | 293 | +130 | |
| 11 | Nebraska | 9 | 3 | 26 | 321 | 273 | +48 | |
| 12 | BYU | 8 | 4 | 22 | 360 | 233 | +127 | |
| 13 | Iowa | 8 | 4 | 20 | 321 | 215 | +106 | |
| 14 | LSU | 7 | 4 | 19 | 311 | 180 | +131 | |
| 15 | Miami (FL) | 8 | 4 | 18 | 415 | 227 | +188 | |
| 16 | Texas | 5 | 7 | 18 | 383 | 378 | +5 | |
| 17 | Georgia | 7 | 5 | 16 | 288 | 289 | -1 | |
| 18 | TCU | 6 | 6 | 14 | 380 | 333 | +47 | |
| 19 | UCLA | 4 | 8 | 14 | 299 | 330 | -31 | |
| 20 | UCF | 6 | 6 | 13 | 361 | 289 | +72 | |
| 21 | Notre Dame | 4 | 8 | 13 | 371 | 334 | +37 | Relegated |
| 22 | Baylor | 6 | 6 | 11 | 419 | 365 | +54 | Survived |
| 23 | Oregon | 4 | 8 | 11 | 425 | 497 | -72 | Relegated |
| 24 | Michigan State | 3 | 9 | 7 | 289 | 333 | -44 | Relegated |
Tier 224 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 12 | 1 | 36 | 578 | 224 | +354 | Promoted |
| 2 | West Virginia | 10 | 2 | 34 | 391 | 281 | +110 | Promoted |
| 3 | Virginia Tech | 9 | 4 | 29 | 455 | 295 | +160 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | Oklahoma State | 9 | 3 | 29 | 464 | 337 | +127 | |
| 5 | Utah | 8 | 4 | 28 | 362 | 287 | +75 | |
| 6 | Louisville | 9 | 3 | 24 | 544 | 280 | +264 | |
| 7 | San Diego State | 10 | 3 | 24 | 459 | 273 | +186 | |
| 8 | Boise State | 10 | 2 | 24 | 427 | 272 | +155 | |
| 9 | Kansas State | 8 | 4 | 23 | 386 | 262 | +124 | |
| 10 | North Carolina | 8 | 4 | 23 | 397 | 299 | +98 | |
| 11 | Pittsburgh | 8 | 4 | 23 | 508 | 427 | +81 | |
| 12 | Texas A&M | 8 | 4 | 20 | 425 | 286 | +139 | |
| 13 | Florida | 8 | 4 | 20 | 281 | 215 | +66 | |
| 14 | Auburn | 8 | 4 | 19 | 387 | 187 | +200 | |
| 15 | Georgia Tech | 8 | 4 | 18 | 334 | 300 | +34 | |
| 16 | Northwestern | 6 | 6 | 15 | 307 | 265 | +42 | |
| 17 | Texas Tech | 5 | 7 | 14 | 524 | 522 | +2 | |
| 18 | Arizona State | 5 | 7 | 13 | 400 | 478 | -78 | |
| 19 | Ole Miss | 5 | 7 | 12 | 391 | 408 | -17 | |
| 20 | Nevada | 5 | 7 | 9 | 305 | 348 | -43 | |
| 21 | Cincinnati | 4 | 8 | 8 | 232 | 323 | -91 | Relegated |
| 22 | East Carolina | 3 | 9 | 6 | 324 | 433 | -109 | Relegated |
| 23 | Arizona | 3 | 9 | 6 | 297 | 460 | -163 | Relegated |
| 24 | Northern Illinois | 5 | 7 | 5 | 366 | 364 | +2 | Survived |
Tier 326 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penn State | 11 | 2 | 35 | 477 | 304 | +173 | Promoted |
| 2 | South Florida | 10 | 2 | 29 | 523 | 372 | +151 | Promoted |
| 3 | Washington State | 8 | 4 | 27 | 484 | 326 | +158 | |
| 4 | Western Michigan | 13 | 0 | 25 | 566 | 253 | +313 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 5 | Navy | 9 | 4 | 24 | 486 | 386 | +100 | |
| 6 | Tulsa | 9 | 3 | 22 | 497 | 378 | +119 | |
| 7 | California | 5 | 7 | 21 | 445 | 511 | -66 | |
| 8 | Tennessee | 8 | 4 | 20 | 435 | 351 | +84 | |
| 9 | Arkansas | 7 | 5 | 20 | 370 | 369 | +1 | |
| 10 | Toledo | 9 | 3 | 18 | 466 | 303 | +163 | |
| 11 | Minnesota | 8 | 4 | 18 | 364 | 275 | +89 | |
| 12 | NC State | 6 | 6 | 15 | 310 | 279 | +31 | |
| 13 | Maryland | 6 | 6 | 15 | 305 | 348 | -43 | |
| 14 | Central Michigan | 6 | 6 | 13 | 332 | 339 | -7 | |
| 15 | Mississippi State | 5 | 7 | 12 | 378 | 397 | -19 | |
| 16 | Oregon State | 4 | 8 | 12 | 314 | 366 | -52 | |
| 17 | South Carolina | 6 | 6 | 12 | 231 | 298 | -67 | |
| 18 | Louisiana Tech | 8 | 5 | 11 | 572 | 425 | +147 | |
| 19 | Syracuse | 4 | 8 | 9 | 308 | 463 | -155 | |
| 20 | UConn | 3 | 9 | 7 | 178 | 337 | -159 | |
| 21 | Missouri | 4 | 8 | 5 | 377 | 378 | -1 | |
| 22 | Bowling Green | 4 | 8 | 4 | 298 | 460 | -162 | |
| 23 | Rice | 3 | 9 | 3 | 303 | 448 | -145 | Survived |
| 24 | Marshall | 3 | 9 | 2 | 317 | 423 | -106 | Relegated |
| 25 | Virginia | 2 | 10 | 2 | 270 | 405 | -135 | Relegated |
| 26 | Fresno State | 1 | 11 | 0 | 212 | 371 | -159 | Relegated |
Tier 426 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 10 | 3 | 35 | 427 | 266 | +161 | Promoted |
| 2 | Temple | 10 | 3 | 25 | 427 | 224 | +203 | Promoted |
| 3 | Wyoming | 8 | 5 | 22 | 482 | 453 | +29 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | Air Force | 9 | 3 | 18 | 412 | 320 | +92 | |
| 5 | Memphis | 8 | 4 | 17 | 474 | 324 | +150 | |
| 6 | Western Kentucky | 10 | 3 | 16 | 586 | 313 | +273 | |
| 7 | New Mexico | 8 | 4 | 15 | 454 | 389 | +65 | |
| 8 | Colorado State | 7 | 5 | 14 | 409 | 334 | +75 | |
| 9 | Indiana | 6 | 6 | 14 | 311 | 328 | -17 | |
| 10 | Ohio | 8 | 5 | 13 | 345 | 289 | +56 | |
| 11 | Southern Miss | 6 | 6 | 12 | 399 | 363 | +36 | |
| 12 | Hawaii | 6 | 7 | 12 | 344 | 487 | -143 | |
| 13 | Wake Forest | 6 | 6 | 11 | 231 | 262 | -31 | |
| 14 | Boston College | 6 | 6 | 11 | 229 | 295 | -66 | |
| 15 | Duke | 4 | 8 | 10 | 280 | 338 | -58 | |
| 16 | San Jose State | 4 | 8 | 9 | 293 | 416 | -123 | |
| 17 | Miami (OH) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 281 | 292 | -11 | |
| 18 | UNLV | 4 | 8 | 7 | 379 | 441 | -62 | |
| 19 | Illinois | 3 | 9 | 7 | 236 | 383 | -147 | |
| 20 | Purdue | 3 | 9 | 6 | 295 | 459 | -164 | |
| 21 | Utah State | 3 | 9 | 5 | 287 | 352 | -65 | |
| 22 | Arkansas State | 7 | 5 | 4 | 324 | 266 | +58 | |
| 23 | Iowa State | 3 | 9 | 4 | 332 | 376 | -44 | Relegated |
| 24 | UTEP | 4 | 8 | 3 | 316 | 419 | -103 | Survived |
| 25 | Rutgers | 2 | 10 | 2 | 188 | 450 | -262 | Relegated |
| 26 | Buffalo | 2 | 10 | -1 | 198 | 388 | -190 | Relegated |
Tier 528 teams
| Team | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt | 6 | 6 | 15 | 282 | 271 | +11 | Promoted |
| 2 | Kentucky | 7 | 5 | 15 | 372 | 374 | -2 | Promoted |
| 3 | Middle Tennessee | 8 | 4 | 13 | 481 | 413 | +68 | Promoted (playoff) |
| 4 | Army | 7 | 5 | 12 | 351 | 227 | +124 | |
| 5 | Old Dominion | 9 | 3 | 12 | 432 | 334 | +98 | |
| 6 | Eastern Michigan | 7 | 5 | 12 | 365 | 364 | +1 | |
| 7 | SMU | 5 | 7 | 11 | 332 | 435 | -103 | |
| 8 | Troy | 9 | 3 | 9 | 410 | 264 | +146 | |
| 9 | App State | 9 | 3 | 9 | 349 | 204 | +145 | |
| 10 | South Alabama | 6 | 6 | 9 | 309 | 306 | +3 | |
| 11 | North Texas | 5 | 7 | 9 | 291 | 386 | -95 | |
| 12 | UTSA | 6 | 6 | 8 | 359 | 340 | +19 | |
| 13 | Idaho | 8 | 4 | 8 | 339 | 357 | -18 | |
| 14 | Akron | 5 | 7 | 7 | 329 | 403 | -74 | |
| 15 | Florida International | 4 | 8 | 7 | 288 | 418 | -130 | |
| 16 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 6 | 6 | 6 | 286 | 301 | -15 | |
| 17 | Charlotte | 4 | 8 | 6 | 302 | 415 | -113 | |
| 18 | Tulane | 4 | 8 | 5 | 289 | 332 | -43 | |
| 19 | Florida Atlantic | 3 | 9 | 5 | 317 | 477 | -160 | |
| 20 | Kansas | 2 | 10 | 5 | 243 | 448 | -205 | |
| 21 | Georgia Southern | 5 | 7 | 4 | 319 | 318 | +1 | |
| 22 | Ball State | 4 | 8 | 4 | 324 | 361 | -37 | |
| 23 | New Mexico State | 3 | 9 | 4 | 298 | 466 | -168 | |
| 24 | Louisiana-Monroe | 4 | 8 | 3 | 280 | 469 | -189 | |
| 25 | Georgia State | 3 | 9 | 2 | 239 | 319 | -80 | |
| 26 | Kent State | 3 | 9 | 2 | 247 | 344 | -97 | |
| 27 | Texas State | 2 | 10 | 2 | 223 | 493 | -270 | |
| 28 | Massachusetts | 2 | 10 | 1 | 280 | 426 | -146 |
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: Alabama.
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 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: Baylor
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Tier 2bottom 4 · survivor: Northern Illinois
Semifinal
Survival Final· winner stays up
Tier 3bottom 4 · survivor: Rice
2017 starting tiers
Cascade from 2016: promoted teams move up, relegated teams move down, and FBS membership is reconciled against CFBD's roster for the next year.
Premier24
- Ohio State1
- Alabama2
- Stanford3
- Washington4
- Clemson5
- Oklahoma6
- USC7
- West Virginia8
- Wisconsin9
- Michigan10
- Virginia Tech11
- Houston12
- Florida State13
- Nebraska14
- BYU15
- Iowa16
- LSU17
- Miami (FL)18
- Texas19
- Georgia20
- TCU21
- UCLA22
- UCF23
- Baylor24
Tier 224
- Penn State1
- South Florida2
- Oklahoma State3
- Utah4
- Western Michigan5
- Louisville6
- San Diego State7
- Boise State8
- Kansas State9
- North Carolina10
- Pittsburgh11
- Texas A&M12
- Florida13
- Auburn14
- Georgia Tech15
- Northwestern16
- Texas Tech17
- Notre Dame18
- Arizona State19
- Ole Miss20
- Oregon21
- Nevada22
- Michigan State23
- Northern Illinois24
Tier 326
- Colorado1
- Washington State2
- Temple3
- Navy4
- Tulsa5
- Wyoming6
- California7
- Tennessee8
- Arkansas9
- Toledo10
- Minnesota11
- NC State12
- Maryland13
- Central Michigan14
- Mississippi State15
- Oregon State16
- South Carolina17
- Louisiana Tech18
- Syracuse19
- Cincinnati20
- UConn21
- East Carolina22
- Arizona23
- Missouri24
- Bowling Green25
- Rice26
Tier 426
- Air Force1
- Memphis2
- Western Kentucky3
- New Mexico4
- Vanderbilt5
- Kentucky6
- Colorado State7
- Indiana8
- Middle Tennessee9
- Ohio10
- Southern Miss11
- Hawaii12
- Wake Forest13
- Boston College14
- Duke15
- San Jose State16
- Miami (OH)17
- UNLV18
- Illinois19
- Purdue20
- Utah State21
- Arkansas State22
- UTEP23
- Marshall24
- Virginia25
- Fresno State26
Tier 528
- Army1
- Old Dominion2
- Eastern Michigan3
- SMU4
- Troy5
- App State6
- South Alabama7
- North Texas8
- UTSA9
- Idaho10
- Akron11
- Florida International12
- Louisiana-Lafayette13
- Charlotte14
- Tulane15
- Florida Atlantic16
- Kansas17
- Georgia Southern18
- Ball State19
- Iowa State20
- New Mexico State21
- Louisiana-Monroe22
- Georgia State23
- Kent State24
- Rutgers25
- Texas State26
- Massachusetts27
- Buffalo28