Were you just as disappointed in the Tournament of Champions seeding system as I was?
**Disclaimer: This article on the Tournament of Champions is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.**
Tournament of Champions season 6 wrapped up on April 20, 2025, with Antonia Lofaso finally winning her first title. The season delivered intense battles, high scores, and one of the most demanding final challenges in the show’s history. But as much as the competition delivered in terms of culinary pressure, in my opinion, one element still feels frustrating: the seeding system.
Each year, chefs are assigned seeds based on past performance, experience, or career recognition. That seeding determines who they face in the opening rounds. But were you just as disappointed in how the seeding played out as I was? Because, in my opinion, it often feels like the rankings are more about name recognition than current ability.
Lower-ranked chefs often face experienced TOC veterans or top favorites in the first round, making it hard for newcomers to advance. With the Randomizer already adding unpredictability, this unfair match-up can eliminate talented chefs before the audience gets to know them.
In my opinion, if Tournament of Champions wants to highlight the best talent, it might be time to rethink how seeds are determined—and whether the current approach is still working in the show's favor.
The current seeding system creates unfair matchups in Tournament of Champions
Tournament of Champions is known for its blind judging and Randomizer, both designed to keep things fair and unpredictable. But in my opinion, the seeding system often works against that goal. Every chef is ranked before the tournament starts, from #1 to #8 in each region.
Those seeds determine who faces whom—#1 faces #8, #2 faces #7, and so on. On paper, it makes sense. But in practice, the matchups can feel one-sided from the start. A big part of the problem, in my opinion, is how seeds are assigned. The show doesn’t share the exact criteria, but it’s clear that name recognition, television history, and prior TOC appearances carry a lot of weight.
That often pushes newcomers and lesser-known chefs to the bottom of the bracket—even if they’ve had equally impressive careers or recent wins off-camera. Take chefs like Britt Rescigno or Joe Sasto. Despite strong showings, they’ve entered seasons with lower seeds, forcing them to take on returning champions or top-seeded names in early rounds.
In season 6, most low seeds were eliminated in Round 1—not because they lacked talent, but because the matchups were stacked from the beginning. In my opinion, this makes it harder for new chefs to break through, and it creates a repetitive pattern where the same group of top-seeded chefs dominate the bracket.
If the show wants to keep the playing field open, it may need to rethink how it evaluates and ranks chefs before the competition begins. Even with the Randomizer and blind judging, in my opinion, the bracket still matters—and when it’s shaped by a flawed seeding system, the fairness that TOC is known for starts to slip.
In my opinion, it’s time to rethink how seeding works on TOC
The idea behind seeding is to reward experience and past success. But in Tournament of Champions, where chefs are judged blindly and work with unpredictable Randomizer challenges, in my opinion, the seeding should reflect more than just name recognition.
Instead of relying on reputation or TV presence, the show could, in my opinion, use recent competition results, restaurant accolades, or even qualifying cook-offs to determine seeds. This would give chefs who haven’t been on screen as often a fairer shot at higher placement—and better matchups.
Another option could be randomized seeding within certain tiers or even eliminating seeding altogether in the opening round to level the bracket. That way, the focus shifts back to adaptability and cooking skill—the heart of the competition.
In my opinion, seeding should guide the bracket, not predetermine outcomes. If Tournament of Champions wants every chef to have a real chance, especially as new talent joins, then changing how seeds are assigned could make the tournament more balanced, competitive, and unpredictable—in the best way.
Tournament of Champions episodes are currently available to stream on Food Network.
