College football’s preseason rankings show broad dominance by the Power 4 conferences. In the AFCA preseason Top 25 poll, 24 of the 25 teams are from the Power 4 leagues.
The only team outside those conferences is No. 5 Notre Dame. Both outlets describe Notre Dame as a long-running independent program and a major national brand within college football. Beyond identifying that lone exception, the reporting centers on the overall composition of the preseason Top 25 rather than detailing specific individual team matchups or schedules.
For context, the “Power 4” label refers to the major conferences often associated with the strongest football programs and most prominent media attention. The articles’ focus is consistent: they highlight that, entering the season, the preseason poll remains overwhelmingly concentrated in the Power 4 footprint, with Notre Dame standing out as the exception.
