Methodology
Data sources
CFBD, caching, conference championships, and Sample data inputs.
Selection Room pulls game, ranking, and team metadata from documented external sources with local caching for reproducible runs.
What this page covers
- Live CFBD vs Sample data
- Caching behavior
- Conference championship handling
Live CFBD
Live runs use CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD) for schedules, scores, and team metadata. An API key is required for live mode; Sample data does not need one.
Sample data
Sample data ships a fixed CSV subset under data/processed/sample/ so contributors and CI can run without network access.
Conference championships
When CFBD championship results exist (weeks 14–16), Selection Room uses them. Before results are available, documented tiebreakers and simulated resolution may apply.
Note
Team logos and colors may come from ESPN CDN URLs embedded in cached team assets.