An "automatic bye" comes from the world of sports. It means that a team earns a good enough record to advance in a playoff or tournament without having to play another team. In other contexts, it basically means leapfrogging over a step in a process.
She landed that job without even having an interview. It was an automatic bye.
My favorite team got an automatic bye, advancing to the final round of the playoffs.
My favorite team got an automatic bye, advancing to the final round of the playoffs.
by artemis1968 September 12, 2013