This season, I’m trying something different at LSU Football Report. I’m running a 72 team, double elimination college football tournament alongside the 2026 season, using the games teams actually play each week whenever possible to determine who advances.
The idea is simple: What would college football look like if a huge national tournament unfolded during the regular season?
The tournament begins in Week 0 with 72 teams. Sixteen teams will compete in eight play in games, while 56 teams receive byes. The eight winners will complete the 64 team main bracket. From there, every team gets two chances. One loss sends a team to the losers bracket. A second loss ends its tournament run.
Whenever possible, I’ll reshuffle the bracket to take advantage of actual games on the college football schedule. When tournament opponents play each other on the field, there is no formula or debate needed. The winner of the real game advances. When they do not meet, I’ll use a 100 point Weekly Performance Score to determine the winner.
Tournament Rules
- 72 teams: The tournament begins with 72 college football teams.
- Week 0 play in round: Sixteen teams compete in eight games. The eight winners join 56 teams with byes to form the 64 team main bracket.
- Double elimination: Every team must lose twice to be eliminated. A first loss sends the team to the losers bracket. A second loss eliminates it.
- Head to head gets priority: The bracket can be reshuffled each week when teams in the tournament are actually scheduled to play one another.
- Real games decide it: When two tournament opponents play each other, the winner of the actual college football game advances.
- No head to head matchup: When tournament opponents do not play each other, the winner is determined using a 100 point Weekly Performance Score.
- Weekly Performance Score: Game result and performance account for 35 percent, quality of opponent 30 percent, strength of schedule 20 percent, home, road or neutral site difficulty 10 percent, and margin of victory or defeat 5 percent.
- Not every win or loss is equal: Winning is strongly rewarded, but the system also recognizes opponent quality. An outstanding performance against an elite opponent can potentially score higher than an easy victory over a weak opponent.
- Two losses and you are out: The tournament continues through the season until only one champion remains.
I’ll post an update every week with the results, eliminated teams, updated winners and losers brackets, and the matchups for the next round. As the regular season progresses and more teams begin playing each other, the tournament should increasingly be settled where it belongs: on the football field.
Follow the complete tournament, brackets and weekly updates at:
LSU Football Report 