Since 2024, the College Football Playoff selects the five highest-ranked conference champions to receive automatic bids into the twelve-team playoff bracket. This season, James Madison University and Tulane gained two of those spots, representing the Sun Belt and The American of the Group of 6 respectively. 

Major commentators within the college football landscape are upset––major figures like Paul Finebaum, Joel Klatt, and former Alabama coach Nick Saban are stating that the spots are being “wasted,”with Saban equating the two team’s inclusions to including a Triple-A baseball team in the World Series. 

The criticism holds some merit on paper, as teams like BYU and Notre Dame had exceptionally strong seasons but were overlooked in the final playoff bracket due to the five-auto-bid system.  

While Power 4 teams are generally considered more talented, their perceived superiority is often attributed to their conference reputation rather than their actual on-field performance.  

The reality is, JMU and Tulane have had amazing seasons, proving themselves by finishing their seasons 12-1 and 11-2 respectively. If either team were in a P4 conference, they would be exalted by the same people as playoff-worthy teams.  

Blaming JMU and Tulane for structural disadvantages within the CFP they did not create is unfair. Past examples, such as Boise State and Cincinnati, demonstrated that G5 teams can compete when presented with genuine opportunities. 

If the College Football Playoff’s purpose is to crown a champion on the field, then James Madison and Tulane should be included. Excluding them only demonstrates that the system favors reputation over performance, which undermines the very purpose of having playoffs in the first place.