The 11th year of the College Football Playoff (CFP) era has begun, and this season marks a significant change – the CFP is now using a 12-team format. The bracket was announced on December 8, and the games are scheduled from December 20 to January 20, 2025. Here’s the full schedule:
The first round takes place on December 20-21, featuring matchups between No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 11 SMU vs. No. 6 Penn State, and more.
Quarterfinals will be played on December 31-January 1, with games at the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. The semifinals are scheduled for January 9-10, followed by the CFP National Championship Game on January 20, 2025, in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The championship game is set to take place at this venue after a historic win for Michigan in the previous year’s title match. The Wolverines secured their first national title since 1997, with quarterback J.J. McCarthy leading the team to victory. This season marks the beginning of the CFP expansion to 12 teams and will be remembered as the fourth-year of the four-team playoff system.
The full schedule is available below:
First round (Dec. 20-21)
Friday, Dec. 20: No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame | 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State | 12 p.m. | TNT/MAX
Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas | 4 p.m. | TNT/MAX
Saturday, Dec. 21: No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State | 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
Quarterfinals (Dec. 31-Jan. 1)
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State/No. 11 SMU winner | 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 | ABC/ESPN
Peach Bowl: No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas/No. 12 Clemson winner | 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ABC/ESPN
Rose Bowl: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State/No. 9 Tennessee winner | 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ABC/ESPN
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 7 Notre Dame/No. 10 Indiana winner | 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1 | ABC/ESPN
Semifinals (Jan. 9-10)
Orange Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9 | ESPN
Cotton Bowl: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 | ESPN
CFP National Championship
7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20 | ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Source: https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2024-12-08/2024-25-college-football-playoff-schedule-dates-tv-channel-sites