The College Football Playoff (CFP) selection committee is scheduled to release its initial rankings on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Data shows a 94% historical agreement between the committee's first rankings and the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll. Over the 12-year history of the playoff, 283 out of 300 teams appearing in the initial CFP rankings were also ranked in the corresponding week’s AP poll.
The rankings are produced by a group of 13 committee members who will ultimately determine the 12 participants for the postseason tournament. While the AP poll consists of votes from 70 media members, the two bodies have agreed on the No. 1 team in seven of the past 12 years. In 2024, the two rankings shared 13 identical team placements, the highest level of agreement recorded during this period. Conversely, in 2015, no teams occupied the same spot in both sets of rankings.
Several teams entered the week of the first rankings following significant movement in the AP poll. UCLA (8-0) rose 22 spots since Week 3 to reach No. 5, its highest position since 2001. Utah (8-0) climbed 18 spots from the preseason to reach No. 3. New Mexico (7-1) earned its first AP ranking in the program's history, appearing at No. 22. In the most recent AP poll, Miami was ranked No. 1, followed by No. 2 BYU and No. 3 Utah.
The 2026 season has been marked by turnover at the top of the standings. For the first time since 2007, the team ranked No. 2 in the AP poll lost in three consecutive weeks. Because of this volatility, an analyst from Roll Tide Wire suggests the committee may rank multi-loss teams higher than in previous seasons. The analyst also predicted the committee might consider head-to-head results, such as Alabama (6-2) potentially being ranked ahead of Kentucky (7-1) because Alabama won their meeting.
The initial rankings provide the first official baseline for the "Group of Six" representative—the highest-ranked champion from the non-power conferences—who is guaranteed a spot in the 12-team field. The final playoff participants will be confirmed next month, following the conclusion of conference championship games.
The initial College Football Playoff rankings will be broadcast live on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Following this release, the committee will provide weekly updates throughout November until the final bracket is set in December. Key matchups affecting future rankings include a top-five meeting between No. 1 Miami and No. 4 Notre Dame and a top-10 rivalry game between No. 7 BYU and No. 3 Utah.