There was a very important announcement on Monday and that was from the AP Stylebook Twitter account, because there was apparently absolutely nothing more important to address on Nov. 16, 2020, other than what to call the College Football Playoff upon second reference.
When writing about the College Football Playoff, use the playoff or the national championship as applicable on second reference.
The abbreviation CFP is acceptable only when referring directly to rankings, whether or not the term has been spelled out earlier in a story.— APStylebook (@APStylebook) November 16, 2020So, when you’re a couple of fish bowls deep on the patio of Kirkwood – Chicago’s favorite Indiana basketball/Nebraska football bar and probably the living embodiment of CQ’s Twitter mentions every Saturday – keep in mind that it’s proper AP style to say, on second reference, “No.