Starting in 2014 , the College Football Playoff – a consortium of the conferences and independent schools that compete in Division I FBS and six bowl games – has arranged to place the top four teams ( based on a thirteen-member committee that selects and seeds the teams ) into two semifinal games , with the winners advancing to compete in the College Football Playoff National Championship , which is not officially sanctioned or recognized by the NCAA . The winner of the game receives a trophy ; since the NCAA awards no national championship for Division I FBS football , this trophy does not denote '' NCAA '' as other NCAA college sports national championship trophies do
independent schools
NCAA Division I FBS independent schools
National Collegiate Athletic Association