2024-25 CFP Schedule: Dates, Times, TV

College Football Playoff Unveils Expanded 12-Team Schedule, Featuring New Year’s Day Quarterfinal Triple-Header and On-Campus Openers

The College Football Playoff (CFP) committee has officially released the complete schedule for the highly anticipated 2024-25 season, ushering in the new 12-team format with an action-packed calendar designed to captivate fans from late December through January. The expanded playoff promises more games, earlier start dates, and a significant triple-header of quarterfinal matchups on New Year’s Day.

This year marks a historic shift from the familiar four-team bracket to a 12-team structure, a move approved last year to create a more inclusive postseason. The new format guarantees automatic bids to the six highest-ranked conference champions, with the remaining six spots filled by at-large selections. The top four seeds receive a first-round bye, further emphasizing the stakes of regular-season performance and conference championship contention.

The expanded playoff kicks off with four first-round games scheduled right before Christmas, bringing playoff football to college campuses for the first time. One first-round contest will be held on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET, airing exclusively on Prime Video. The action continues the following day, Saturday, December 21, 2024, with three more matchups: a noon ET game and a 3 p.m. ET game, both broadcast on TNT, followed by a 6 p.m. ET contest returning to Prime Video. These crucial opening-round games will be hosted by the higher-seeded teams at their home stadiums, promising electrifying atmospheres and a significant home-field advantage.

The quarterfinal round commences on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31, 2024, with the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN.

However, the main event for the quarterfinals arrives on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2025, with a blockbuster trio of games. The day starts at 1 p.m. ET with the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, followed by the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, at 5 p.m. ET. To cap off the day, the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans will get underway at 8:45 p.m. ET. All three of these high-stakes quarterfinal matchups will be broadcast live on ESPN, solidifying New Year’s Day as a cornerstone of the college football postseason.

After the intense quarterfinal round, the focus shifts to the semifinals. The first semifinal game is scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2025, with the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The second semifinal will be played the following day, Friday, January 10, 2025, featuring the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, also at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. These traditional New Year’s Six bowls rotate annually as hosts for the semifinal games.

The journey culminates with the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 20, 2025. The ultimate showdown for the sport’s highest honor will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, with a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m. ET, broadcast live on ESPN. This marks Atlanta’s second time hosting the CFP National Championship since 2018.

The expanded playoff format also brings a new distribution of broadcast rights. While ESPN remains the primary home for the majority of the playoff games, including all quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship, the first-round matchups will be split across Prime Video and TNT. This multi-platform approach aims to maximize reach and engagement for the expanded postseason, ensuring fans don’t miss a moment of the thrilling new postseason.