College Football Playoff sets schedule for 12-team model in 2024, 2025
The College Football Playoff has unveiled its schedule for the new 12-team model set to begin in 2024.
The first round of games will take place at home sites Dec. 20 (Friday) and Dec. 21. Then, the quarterfinals will be held on Dec. 31 (Fiesta Bowl) and Jan. 1 (Chick-fil-A Peach, Rose Bowl, and Allstate Sugar Bowl), with the semifinals taking place on Jan. 9 (Orange Bowl) and Jan. 10 (Cotton Bowl).
The national championship game will occur two weeks later on Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
“We are pleased to be able to announce these game dates today,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff. “We appreciate the efforts of all the parties involved in finalizing this schedule. This is the next significant step in bringing clarity to the launch of the 12-team playoff format in 2024. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but this is an important milestone along the way.”
The expanded playoff model features the six conference champions ranked highest by the 13-member selection committee and the six highest-ranked at-large teams. The top four teams receive first-round byes, while the remaining eight teams will play in first-round games set at the home sites of the next highest-ranked teams.
The Playoff management committee also released its 2025 schedule, which features first-round games Dec. 19 (Friday) and Dec. 20, with the quarterfinals Dec. 31 (Wednesday) and Jan. 1. The semifinals will take place at the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 9. Hard Rock Stadium in Miami will host the National Championship Game on Jan. 19.
The announcement of the game dates for the 12-team playoff format in 2024 is a significant step towards bringing more clarity to the expansion of the playoffs.
The Board of Managers approved the expansion from the current four-team model to 12 teams on Dec. 1 to be implemented in 2024 and 2025. The current television contract between the Playoff and ESPN runs through the end of the 2025-26 season. College football leaders are expected to open the bidding process to maximize revenue by adding more teams.
Having the three first-round games on Saturday runs the risk of putting them head-to-head with the final weeks of the NFL season. But playoff officials moved the quarter and semifinals midweek to avoid competing against the NFL wild-card weekend.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
2024
First Round (On-Campus)
— Friday, Dec. 20, 2024: One Game (evening)
— Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024: Three Games (early afternoon, late afternoon and evening)
Quarterfinals
— Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (evening)
— Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl Game (late afternoon) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (evening)
Semifinals
— Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025: Capital One Orange Bowl (evening)
— Friday, Jan. 10, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)
CFP National Championship
— Monday, Jan. 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
2025
First Round (On-Campus)
— Friday, Dec. 19, 2025: One Game (evening)
— Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025: Three Games (early afternoon, late afternoon and evening)
Quarterfinals
— Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (evening)
— Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026: Capital One Orange Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl Game (late afternoon) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (evening)
Semifinals
— Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026: Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (evening)
— Friday, Jan. 9, 2026: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (evening)
CFP National Championship
— Monday, Jan. 19, 2026: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
