When are the College Football Playoffs in 2024? It might feel like a dot on the horizon right now, but before you know it, the next college football season will be upon us. We’ve got the 2024 College Football Playoff dates, including locations for all three games, and the answers to questions you didn’t even know that you had as we prepare for the final edition of the College Football Playoff four-team format.
When Are the 2024 College Football Playoffs?
The semifinals of the 2023-2024 College Football Playoff will both take place on the same date, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2024. The winners will meet in the 2023 College Football National Championship on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Historically, kickoffs for the two semifinal games have been at 4 p.m. ET and 8 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the College Football National Championship Game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Where Are the 2024 College Football Playoff Games?
So now we know when the 2024 College Football Playoffs are and what date each game will take place. But where are the 2024 College Football Playoff games going to be held? In alignment with the agreed rotation, the semifinals will be held at the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. The 2024 College Football National Championship will be held at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans NFL team, will host the College Football National Championship for the first time in the CFP era. However, the stadium is no stranger to college football, hosting the Texas Bowl annually alongside multiple other events, including the “Battle of the Piney Woods” — a rivalry game between the Sam Houston State Bearkats and Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.
MORE: When are the College Football Playoffs in 2023?
The first of the two semifinals for the 2024 College Football Playoffs takes place at the historic Rose Bowl. The picture postcard destination in Pasadena, California, has been a consistent fixture on the college football calendar since 1916 — with the exception of 1942 and 2021. The Rose Bowl first hosted the CFP semifinal in 2015 and was the scene of Georgia’s double-overtime win over Oklahoma in 2018.
The second matchup of the 2024 College Football Playoffs will be held at the Sugar Bowl. An annual fixture on the college football calendar since 1935, the Sugar Bowl has been held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans since 1975. As per the College Football Playoffs semifinal location rotation agreement, the Sugar Bowl has previously held a semifinal in 2015, 2018, and 2021.
Which Teams Are In the 2024 College Football Playoffs?
We know when the 2024 College Football Playoffs are. We know where the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinals and National Championship will take place. However, even with our expert college football knowledge, we have absolutely no idea which teams will contest the 2024 College Football Playoffs.
That said, if the past is any determiner of the future, we can make an educated guess as to the finalists. Alabama has made a record seven College Football Playoff appearances, followed closely by Clemson with six. Neither team made the 2023 CFP, but it would be a foolish man who bets against at least one returning to the premier college football postseason party.
How Many Teams Are In the 2024 College Football Playoffs?
College Football Playoff expansion is a hot topic. Recently, it was announced that the CFP will expand to a 12-team format. Does that mean that there are more teams contesting the 2024 College Football Playoffs when they kick off on Jan. 1, 2024?
MORE: College Football Playoff Expansion Timeline
No. The 2024 College Football Playoffs will be the final edition of the current four-team format. As a result, just four teams will contest the CFP following the 2023 college football season. From the 2024-2025 college football campaign, however, there will be 12 teams battling it out to be crowned the college football national champion.
