College Football Playoff schedule unveiled for 12-team field in 2024, 2025
Sam Cooper (Yahoo Sports)Â —Â Some key details about the 12-team College Football Playoff were unveiled on Tuesday.
The CFP announced the schedule and bowl game assignments for the first two installments of the expanded format, which is going from four teams to 12 beginning with the 2024 season.
As a reminder, the 12-team playoff will consist of the six highest-ranked conference champions and the six highest-ranked at-large teams as chosen by the CFP selection committee. The top four conference champions will be seeded Nos. 1 through 4 and receive first-round byes. The remaining teams will play first-round games on the campus of the better seeds.
In 2024, those first-round games will take place on Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21. One game will be played on Friday night with the other three taking place on Saturday — one in the early afternoon, one in the late afternoon and another in the evening.
Moving ahead, the quarterfinals will be played at bowl sites on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Fiesta Bowl will be played at night on New Year’s Eve (a Tuesday) with the Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl all being played on New Year’s Day (Wednesday).
From there, the semifinals will be played at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 and Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
The CFP title game will then be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday, Jan. 20.
For the 2025 season, the scheduling layout is the same but the bowl assignments are different.
The first-round games on campus will be held on Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20 with one game on Friday night and the other three on Saturday. The first quarterfinal game, the Cotton Bowl, will be held on New Year’s Eve before the other three quarterfinals — the Orange Bowl (early afternoon), Rose Bowl (late afternoon) and Sugar Bowl (evening) — are played on New Year’s Day.
The semifinals for the 2025 season will be the Fiesta Bowl (Thursday, Jan. 8) and the Peach Bowl (Friday, Jan. 9) before the national championship at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Monday, Jan. 19.
What would a 12-team CFP have looked like in 2022?
Last season, the 12-team College Football Playoff would have looked like this based on the final rankings from the selection committee:
1 Georgia (SEC champion)
2 Michigan (Big Ten champion)
3 Clemson (ACC champion)
4 Utah (Pac-12 champion)
5 TCU (at-large)
6 Ohio State (at-large)
7 Alabama (at-large)
8 Tennessee (at-large)
9 Kansas State (Big 12 champion)
10 USC (at-large)
11 Penn State (at-large)
12 Tulane (highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion)
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NIL NEWS: House of Victory Merges with 3400 Club Consolidation Leads to Expanded NIL Support May 4, 2023 To best support USC student-athletes with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, House of Victory will merge with basketball-focused collective 3400 Club, effective immediately. House of Victory launched last month as an alumni-backed nonprofit platform dedicated to providing a competitive edge in the NIL space for University of Southern California student-athletes. A proud NIL sponsor of USC Athletics, House of Victory facilitates NIL opportunities to student-athletes across all of USC’s twenty-one sports. In its first month of existence, House of Victory announced… Read more »
In my email I receive a newsletter from the California State Attorney General. (Don’t know why I have blocked the sender and have never subscribed) Anyway I actually skimmed it today and he’s bloviating about our nation’s leading employment laws and how he’s investigating the NFL for violations such as pay inequality and other evil things. It’s as if the guy’s running for governor or something. This got me thinking about the group suing to make college athletes employees of their schools. What interesting ramifications could come from such an obvious mistake. For instance would a football player sue his… Read more »
Rialto, Did he explain why numerous businesses are fleeing CA to escape its incredibly stupid labor laws? I sometimes think the NV & AZ Chambers of Commerce contribute to the campaign coffers of the woke CA politicians.
Calen Bullock and Mason Cobb Named to 2023 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
Named after former NFL HOF star and Trojan Ronnie Lott, the Lott Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field.
At today’s May 4 luncheon announcing the watch list, Lincoln Riley was the keynote speaker.
The Big 12 has big plans, and one could be a gateway for FRESNO ST in conference expansion… Robert Kuwada (Yahoo Sports) — The Big 12 is exploring more than just adding West Coast schools and late-night TV windows during the football season. It also has its sights set on opening international markets and playing basketball and football games in Mexico, which could shed some light on the conference’s interest in Fresno State as a potential expansion partner. The population of Fresno County is 55.9% Hispanic or Latino, which closely mirrors university enrollment (54.7%), and the university has deep and… Read more »
Pac-12’s murky future finds shred of clarity with ESPN seemingly no longer an option for primary media rights
The Pac-12 has no choice but to focus on lesser media contenders as it tries to hold itself together
Dennis Dodd (CBS Sports) — “If ESPN is not interested in the Pac-12’s Tier I games — the most-desirable, likely highest-rated contests — there doesn’t appear to be an obvious brand-name suitor for the league. Other major linear platforms, including Fox, appear not to be interested in primary Pac-12 rights that would provide the bulk of income in a new media deal…”
I wonder how George Kliavkoff is gonna keep the Pac-10/12 together? There hasn’t been any good news re a satisfactory and viable media contract in a long time. I’m sure he never considered what his Pac-12 commish job would really look like at this stage of the game.
I’m starting to feel a little sorry for the non-L.A. version of the Pac-12. It didn’t have to be this way, or did it?
Was USC’s eventual move to a much more lucrative football conference always in the cards?
Posting from Fayetteville, AR. Visiting one of our grandkids at Arkansas. On the way back from Branson, MO. Visited Branson with friends. Really enjoyed it. i think you asked the right question-did George have any clue how big a mess Larry Scott left behind? The pressure is now really on the 4 corner states. If the B12 chooses to add Fresno, UNLV & San Diego State, it may close the conference to more expansion and seal the PAC 10 together. George missed the window for a $30 Million per year deal. My guess is they will play 2023 without a… Read more »
The problem is their biggest national audiences will usually, maybe always, involve USC and UCLA as opponents, only further cementing the importance of the L.A. schools to a strong media deal. The Pac-12 will never sufficiently recover IMO.
Outside of USC, the most interesting P12 school is now horrendous CU, at least for as long as Prime stays put, which may not be for long.
Stewart Mandel’s College Football Post-Spring Top 25: Where do USC, Alabama, Ohio State rank? 1. Georgia (previous: 1) 2. LSU (previous: 4) 3. Michigan (previous: 2) 4. USC (previous: 6) Lincoln Riley loaded up in the portal again. Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, receivers Mario Williams and Brenden Rice and running back Austin Jones welcome Arizona receiver Dorian Singer — who had 1,105 receiving yards last season — and South Carolina RB MarShawn Lloyd. Jarrett Kingston (Washington State), Michael Tarquin (Florida) and Emmanuel Pregnon (Wyoming) are likely O-line starters. Oklahoma State LB Mason Cobb and D-linemen Anthony Lucas (Texas A&M), Jack Sullivan (Purdue) and Kyon Barrs (Arizona) should help upgrade a woeful D. 5. Ohio State (previous: 3) 6. Alabama (previous: 5) 7. Washington (previous: 9) Washington won 11 games in Kalen DeBoer’s first season, and star QB Michael Penix Jr. is back,… Read more »
So two USC journalism students, one a 40 yo grad student, the other a 19 yo, 2 of 5 students, sent by USC to cover the draft, were arrested and charged with stealing 3 NFL jerseys from the Nike Talent Room. Idiots! Especially the 40yo, grown man should know better.
“I’ve talked to multiple teams who believe that the Sam Darnold signing is sneaky significant,”ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter. “That this is a guy who could start for them Week 1, play meaningful snaps. They believe he’s a great fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. So if Trey Lance is going to play, he’s going to have to earn it against Darnold.”
Brock Purdy is recovering from elbow surgery, so his availability for the start of the 2023 season remains in flux.
I’ve always hoped Sam would make it big in the NFL. Being drafted by the Jets was a curse of death. Leonard Williams saw the light and is gone. So is Sam. Sam didn’t fare much better in Carolina, most likely due to injuries and an poor OL. I could see him thriving in SF and sure hope he does. I’ll never forget his performance in the Rose Bowl game vs Penn State-one of the most exciting Rose Bowls I’ve ever seen and I’ve been to 9 of them over the years. All USC except once I went to see… Read more »
USC moves up to #4 in updated ESPN (Mark Schlabach) spring edition college football Top 25 Power Rankings
Georgia, Michigan, Florida State, USC and Ohio State are the new top five in ESPN’s updated rankings with the spring season and the latest transfer portal maneuvering considered.
As I read it, the traditional bowl game matchups are a thing of the past, although with USC in the Big 10 that’s a forgone conclusion. But it looks like the stadium will host a game on New Year’s Day, and anyone can be playing. It won’t feel the same.
I agree RialtoTrojan. It was always a classic when the BIG and PAC met in the Rose Bowl. Just before that agreement was signed decades ago, my relative Ted Tannehill, USC’s leading rusher in 1945, went up against Alabama in the 1946 Rose Bowl. Alabama kicked our butts that day, but what else is new except for the 1969 and 1978 games in Alabama.
The 10 day break between games is thoughtful, IMO.
Have you seen the retrospective on how last year’s 12 team playoff most likely would have looked? USC would have played AT Alabama.
I still wish we could know how last year would have turned out had Caleb not gotten injured. We’d have been in the playoff as it was, and who knows, we might’ve won it all. In the alternative 12 team world, going to Bama without Caleb would not have been pretty.
It’s wildly hard for me to imagine USC playing for a NC with what I describe as the absolute worst Trojan D I have ever seen. Ever.
As good as a healthy Caleb was/is, even with him playing, I’m glad USC didn’t have to go up against GA or ALA, two teams I think would have lit USC up like nobody’s business.
Yeah, either of those teams probably would’ve scored on every possession, but who knows, an opportunistic pick here, a fumble there, and if our offense was dialed in…maybe, just maybe….
I really hope we can make the Playoffs this year. I would hate to have not made it to the 4-team playoff at all while ND has made it there a couple of times. They would always hold it over us that we needed expansion to make it, even if not ultimately true.
I don’t think ND is in much of a position to brag about anything. JMHO. USC beat the Irish up pretty good last year. Since they aren’t in a conference, everyone knows their road to the POs is different since they don’t have to be champions of anything to get in. Their 10-2 2020 team got humiliated in the end by both CLEM (34-10) and ALA (31-14). Nothing to hold over anyone with those results. I also think USC will beat ND in South Bend this year. Beating them head-to-head is what matters to me. Not what they think of… Read more »
As long as ND stays independent, looks like the best they can ever get is the #5 seed. In that case it would give them a home game and with a win, play the 4 seed.
USC Women’s Beach VB fought its way through the bracket as #3 seed to berth
in the final tomorrow against ….. #1 u c l a
Huge win today over TCU
NIL NEWS: House of Victory Merges with 3400 Club Consolidation Leads to Expanded NIL Support May 4, 2023 To best support USC student-athletes with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities, House of Victory will merge with basketball-focused collective 3400 Club, effective immediately. House of Victory launched last month as an alumni-backed nonprofit platform dedicated to providing a competitive edge in the NIL space for University of Southern California student-athletes. A proud NIL sponsor of USC Athletics, House of Victory facilitates NIL opportunities to student-athletes across all of USC’s twenty-one sports. In its first month of existence, House of Victory announced… Read more »
Bronny James has decided he wants to play for USC basketball.
In my email I receive a newsletter from the California State Attorney General. (Don’t know why I have blocked the sender and have never subscribed) Anyway I actually skimmed it today and he’s bloviating about our nation’s leading employment laws and how he’s investigating the NFL for violations such as pay inequality and other evil things. It’s as if the guy’s running for governor or something. This got me thinking about the group suing to make college athletes employees of their schools. What interesting ramifications could come from such an obvious mistake. For instance would a football player sue his… Read more »
Rialto, Did he explain why numerous businesses are fleeing CA to escape its incredibly stupid labor laws? I sometimes think the NV & AZ Chambers of Commerce contribute to the campaign coffers of the woke CA politicians.
If the student athletes were to be made employees of the university could the continue to accept NIL deals?
Calen Bullock and Mason Cobb Named to 2023 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List
Named after former NFL HOF star and Trojan Ronnie Lott, the Lott Trophy annually goes to the Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year, a player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field.
At today’s May 4 luncheon announcing the watch list, Lincoln Riley was the keynote speaker.
usctrojans.com
The Big 12 has big plans, and one could be a gateway for FRESNO ST in conference expansion… Robert Kuwada (Yahoo Sports) — The Big 12 is exploring more than just adding West Coast schools and late-night TV windows during the football season. It also has its sights set on opening international markets and playing basketball and football games in Mexico, which could shed some light on the conference’s interest in Fresno State as a potential expansion partner. The population of Fresno County is 55.9% Hispanic or Latino, which closely mirrors university enrollment (54.7%), and the university has deep and… Read more »
Pac-12’s murky future finds shred of clarity with ESPN seemingly no longer an option for primary media rights
The Pac-12 has no choice but to focus on lesser media contenders as it tries to hold itself together
Dennis Dodd (CBS Sports) — “If ESPN is not interested in the Pac-12’s Tier I games — the most-desirable, likely highest-rated contests — there doesn’t appear to be an obvious brand-name suitor for the league. Other major linear platforms, including Fox, appear not to be interested in primary Pac-12 rights that would provide the bulk of income in a new media deal…”
cbssports.com
I wonder how George Kliavkoff is gonna keep the Pac-10/12 together? There hasn’t been any good news re a satisfactory and viable media contract in a long time. I’m sure he never considered what his Pac-12 commish job would really look like at this stage of the game.
I’m starting to feel a little sorry for the non-L.A. version of the Pac-12. It didn’t have to be this way, or did it?
Was USC’s eventual move to a much more lucrative football conference always in the cards?
Posting from Fayetteville, AR. Visiting one of our grandkids at Arkansas. On the way back from Branson, MO. Visited Branson with friends. Really enjoyed it. i think you asked the right question-did George have any clue how big a mess Larry Scott left behind? The pressure is now really on the 4 corner states. If the B12 chooses to add Fresno, UNLV & San Diego State, it may close the conference to more expansion and seal the PAC 10 together. George missed the window for a $30 Million per year deal. My guess is they will play 2023 without a… Read more »
The problem is their biggest national audiences will usually, maybe always, involve USC and UCLA as opponents, only further cementing the importance of the L.A. schools to a strong media deal. The Pac-12 will never sufficiently recover IMO.
Outside of USC, the most interesting P12 school is now horrendous CU, at least for as long as Prime stays put, which may not be for long.
Hope you are enjoying your trip!
Stewart Mandel’s College Football Post-Spring Top 25: Where do USC, Alabama, Ohio State rank? 1. Georgia (previous: 1) 2. LSU (previous: 4) 3. Michigan (previous: 2) 4. USC (previous: 6) Lincoln Riley loaded up in the portal again. Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams, receivers Mario Williams and Brenden Rice and running back Austin Jones welcome Arizona receiver Dorian Singer — who had 1,105 receiving yards last season — and South Carolina RB MarShawn Lloyd. Jarrett Kingston (Washington State), Michael Tarquin (Florida) and Emmanuel Pregnon (Wyoming) are likely O-line starters. Oklahoma State LB Mason Cobb and D-linemen Anthony Lucas (Texas A&M), Jack Sullivan (Purdue) and Kyon Barrs (Arizona) should help upgrade a woeful D. 5. Ohio State (previous: 3) 6. Alabama (previous: 5) 7. Washington (previous: 9) Washington won 11 games in Kalen DeBoer’s first season, and star QB Michael Penix Jr. is back,… Read more »
So two USC journalism students, one a 40 yo grad student, the other a 19 yo, 2 of 5 students, sent by USC to cover the draft, were arrested and charged with stealing 3 NFL jerseys from the Nike Talent Room. Idiots! Especially the 40yo, grown man should know better.
Sounds like a plot device suitable for 80 For Brady, especially since the flick is loosely based on real elderly female NFL fans.
Could Sam Darnold be the guy with the 49ers?
“I’ve talked to multiple teams who believe that the Sam Darnold signing is sneaky significant,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter. “That this is a guy who could start for them Week 1, play meaningful snaps. They believe he’s a great fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. So if Trey Lance is going to play, he’s going to have to earn it against Darnold.”
Brock Purdy is recovering from elbow surgery, so his availability for the start of the 2023 season remains in flux.
bleacherreport.com
I’ve always hoped Sam would make it big in the NFL. Being drafted by the Jets was a curse of death. Leonard Williams saw the light and is gone. So is Sam. Sam didn’t fare much better in Carolina, most likely due to injuries and an poor OL. I could see him thriving in SF and sure hope he does. I’ll never forget his performance in the Rose Bowl game vs Penn State-one of the most exciting Rose Bowls I’ve ever seen and I’ve been to 9 of them over the years. All USC except once I went to see… Read more »
USC moves up to #4 in updated ESPN (Mark Schlabach) spring edition college football Top 25 Power Rankings
Georgia, Michigan, Florida State, USC and Ohio State are the new top five in ESPN’s updated rankings with the spring season and the latest transfer portal maneuvering considered.
Rank/Team/Previous Rank/2022 Record
1 Georgia 1 15-0
2 Michigan 3 13-1
3 Florida State 4 10-3
4 USC 7 11-3
5 Ohio State 2 11-2
12 Washington 11 11-2
13 Notre Dame 14 9-4
14 Utah 13 10-4
15 Oregon 9 10-3
17 Oregon State 17 10-3
espn.com
As I read it, the traditional bowl game matchups are a thing of the past, although with USC in the Big 10 that’s a forgone conclusion. But it looks like the stadium will host a game on New Year’s Day, and anyone can be playing. It won’t feel the same.
I agree RialtoTrojan. It was always a classic when the BIG and PAC met in the Rose Bowl. Just before that agreement was signed decades ago, my relative Ted Tannehill, USC’s leading rusher in 1945, went up against Alabama in the 1946 Rose Bowl. Alabama kicked our butts that day, but what else is new except for the 1969 and 1978 games in Alabama.
Christian McCaffrey is a big fan of Sam Darnold’s, in case you haven’t heard already
https://twitter.com/i/status/1650646398763941888
The 10 day break between games is thoughtful, IMO.
Have you seen the retrospective on how last year’s 12 team playoff most likely would have looked? USC would have played AT Alabama.
I still wish we could know how last year would have turned out had Caleb not gotten injured. We’d have been in the playoff as it was, and who knows, we might’ve won it all. In the alternative 12 team world, going to Bama without Caleb would not have been pretty.
It’s wildly hard for me to imagine USC playing for a NC with what I describe as the absolute worst Trojan D I have ever seen. Ever.
As good as a healthy Caleb was/is, even with him playing, I’m glad USC didn’t have to go up against GA or ALA, two teams I think would have lit USC up like nobody’s business.
Yeah, either of those teams probably would’ve scored on every possession, but who knows, an opportunistic pick here, a fumble there, and if our offense was dialed in…maybe, just maybe….
I really hope we can make the Playoffs this year. I would hate to have not made it to the 4-team playoff at all while ND has made it there a couple of times. They would always hold it over us that we needed expansion to make it, even if not ultimately true.
I don’t think ND is in much of a position to brag about anything. JMHO. USC beat the Irish up pretty good last year. Since they aren’t in a conference, everyone knows their road to the POs is different since they don’t have to be champions of anything to get in. Their 10-2 2020 team got humiliated in the end by both CLEM (34-10) and ALA (31-14). Nothing to hold over anyone with those results. I also think USC will beat ND in South Bend this year. Beating them head-to-head is what matters to me. Not what they think of… Read more »
As long as ND stays independent, looks like the best they can ever get is the #5 seed. In that case it would give them a home game and with a win, play the 4 seed.