College Football Playoff - wikipedia College Football Playoff College Football Playoff In operation 2014 -- present Preceded by BCS ( 1998 -- 2013 ) Bowl Alliance ( 1995 -- 1997 ) Bowl Coalition ( 1992 -- 1994 ) Number of playoff games 3 ( championship game, 2 semifinal games ) Championship trophy College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy Television partner ( s ) ESPN ( 2014 -- present ) Most playoff appearances Alabama ( 4 ) Most playoff wins Alabama ( 5 ) Most playoff championships Alabama ( 2 ) Conference with most appearances SEC ( 5 ) Conference with most game wins SEC ( 6 ) Conference with most championships SEC ( 2 ) Last championship game 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Current champion Alabama Executive director Bill Hancock Website collegefootballplayoff.com The College Football Playoff ( CFP ) is an annual postseason knockout tournament to determine the national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ), the highest level of college football competition in the United States. The inaugural tournament was held at the end of the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Four teams play in two semifinal games, and the winner of each semifinal advances to the College Football Playoff National Championship game. The College Football Playoff is not an officially sanctioned championship event by the NCAA, the sport 's governing body. The NCAA has never recognized an official national championship for FBS football, instead merely recognizing the decisions made any of a number of independent major championship selectors. Consequently, Division I FBS football is the only NCAA sport in which a yearly national champion is not determined by an NCAA event, nor is an official NCAA national championship awarded. Nevertheless, the CFP 's inception in 2014 marked the first time a major championship selector in football was able to determine their champion by using a bracket competition. A 13 - member committee selects and seeds the four teams to take part in the CFP. This system differs from the use of polls or computer rankings that had previously been used to select the participants for the Bowl Championship Series ( BCS ), the title system used in FBS from 1998 to 2013. The current format is a Plus - One system, an idea which became popular as an alternative to the BCS after the 2003 and 2004 seasons ended in controversy. The two semifinal games rotate among six major bowl games, referred to as the New Year 's Six : the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Peach Bowl. In addition to the four teams selected for the playoff, the final CFP rankings are used to help determine the participants for the other four New Year 's Six bowls that are not hosting the semifinals that year. The semifinal games, which take place on the same day, are usually scheduled on Friday, Saturday, or Monday close to or on New Years Day, with flexibility allowed to ensure that they are not in conflict with other bowl games traditionally held on New Year 's Day. The National Championship game is then played on the first Monday that is six or more days after the semifinals. The venue of the championship game is selected based on bids submitted by cities, similar to the Super Bowl or NCAA Final Four. The winner of the game is awarded the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy. Playoff officials commissioned a new trophy that was unconnected with the previous championship systems, such as the AFCA `` crystal football '' trophy which had been regularly presented after the championship game since the 1990s. Contents 1 Selection process 1.1 Selection committee 1.1. 1 Past members 1.2 Voting procedure 2 Impact on scheduling 3 Semifinals 4 Championship game 5 Appearances 5.1 College Football Playoff appearances by team 5.2 College Football Playoff appearances by conference 6 Broadcasting 6.1 Ratings 7 Revenue 8 Leadership 8.1 Board of Managers 8.2 Athletics Directors Advisory Group 9 Criticism 9.1 Team selection 9.2 Selection committee 9.3 Scheduling 10 See also 11 References 12 External links Selection process Selection committee The first College Football Playoff selection committee was announced on October 16, 2013. The group consists of 13 members who generally serve three - year terms, although some initial selections served terms both shorter and longer than three years `` to achieve a rotation '' of members. The current members of the selection committee are : Member Position Conference affiliation Recusals Term expires Hocutt, Kirby Kirby Hocutt ( chairman ) Texas Tech athletic director ; former Kansas State linebacker Big 12 Texas Tech February 2018 Howard, Christopher B. Christopher B. Howard Robert Morris University President ; former Air Force running back N / A None February 2020 Bower, Jeff Jeff Bower Former Southern Miss head coach N / A Southern Miss February 2019 Deromedi, Herb Herb Deromedi Former Central Michigan head coach N / A Central Michigan February 2019 Jernstedt, Tom Tom Jernstedt Former NCAA executive vice president ; former Oregon quarterback N / A None February 2018 Johnson, Bobby Bobby Johnson Former Vanderbilt head coach ; former Clemson player N / A None February 2018 Long, Jeff Jeff Long Former Arkansas athletic director SEC Arkansas, Missouri February 2018 Mullens, Rob Rob Mullens Oregon athletic director Pac - 12 Oregon February 2019 Radakovich, Dan Dan Radakovich Clemson athletic director, father of current Clemson player ACC Clemson February 2018 Beamer, Frank Frank Beamer Former Virginia Tech head coach N / A Georgia, Virginia Tech February 2020 Wieberg, Steve Steve Wieberg Former USA Today reporter N / A None February 2018 Willingham, Tyrone Tyrone Willingham Former Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington head coach N / A Duke, Stanford February 2018 Smith, Gene Gene Smith Ohio State athletic director Big Ten Ohio State February 2020 Jump up ^ Current or former, athletic department administration only. Jump up ^ Any programs for which members are required to recuse themselves from voting or discussions. Jump up ^ In addition to Arkansas, Long is recused from Missouri because his daughter attends the school and works in its athletic department. Jump up ^ In addition to Virginia Tech, Beamer is recused from Georgia because his son Shane is the Bulldogs ' tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. Jump up ^ Willingham is recused from Stanford because his son is currently on the Cardinal coaching staff, and from Duke because his daughter is employed at the school. The committee members include one current athletic director from each of the five `` major '' conferences -- ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac - 12, and SEC -- also known as the Power Five conferences. Other members are former coaches, players, athletic directors, and administrators, plus a retired member of the media. The goal was for the panel to consist proportionally of current `` Power Five '' athletic directors, former coaches, and a third group of other voters, excluding current conference commissioners, coaches, and media members. During the selection process, organizers said they wanted the committee to be geographically balanced. Conference commissioners submitted lists totaling more than 100 names from which to select the final committee members. Past members Member Position Conference affiliation Season ( s ) Replaced by Gould, Michael C. Michael C. Gould Former Air Force Academy superintendent N / A 2014 -- 15 Jeff Bower Osborne, Tom Tom Osborne Former Nebraska coach and athletic director Big Ten / Big 12 2014 -- 15 Lloyd Carr Tranghese, Mike Mike Tranghese Former Big East commissioner The American 2014 -- 15 Herb Deromedi Haden, Pat Pat Haden USC athletic director ; former USC quarterback Pac - 12 2014 Rob Mullens Luck, Oliver Oliver Luck Former West Virginia athletic director Big 12 2014 Kirby Hocutt Manning, Archie Archie Manning Former NFL and Ole Miss quarterback N / A - Bobby Johnson Carr, Lloyd Lloyd Carr Former Michigan coach Big Ten - Chris Howard Rice, Condoleezza Condoleezza Rice Former Secretary of state N / A 2014 -- 16 Frank Beamer Alvarez, Barry Barry Alvarez Former Wisconsin coach and athletic director Big Ten 2014 -- 16 Gene Smith The selection of Condoleezza Rice, a former U.S. Secretary of State and Stanford University provost, was met with some backlash within the sport and the media. Critics questioned her qualifications, citing gender and lack of football experience. Jump up ^ Current or former, athletic department administration only. Jump up ^ Stepped down October 30, 2015, citing health reasons and instability at USC. Did not participate in 2015 season committee. Jump up ^ Left the committee in 2015, before his term expired, after resigning as West Virginia athletic director to work for the NCAA as executive vice president of regulatory affairs. Jump up ^ Took a leave of absence for health reasons in October 2014 and stepped down in March 2015. Never participated in any committee voting. Jump up ^ Left the committee in 2016 before the season started for health reasons. Committee stayed at 12 members rather than replacing him. Voting Procedure The committee releases its top 25 rankings weekly on Tuesdays in the second half of the regular season. The top four teams are seeded in that order for the playoff. During the season, the committee meets and releases rankings six or seven times, depending on the length of the season ( the number of games is consistent, but the number of weeks those games are played over can vary from year to year ). The group, which meets at the Gaylord Texan hotel in Grapevine, Texas, reportedly meets in person up to 10 total times a year. A team 's strength of schedule is one of the most pertinent considerations for the committee in making its selections. Other factors that the committee weighs are conference championships, team records, and head - to - head results, plus other points such as injuries and weather. Unlike the BCS system, the AP Poll, Coaches ' Poll, and the Harris Poll, computer rankings are not used to make the selections. Advanced statistics and metrics are expected to be submitted to the committee, though like other analytics, they have no formal role in the decision. Committee members are not required to attend games. Long said the panel considered less frequent rankings, but ultimately decided on a weekly release. `` That 's what the fans have become accustomed to, and we felt it would leave a void in college football without a ranking for several weeks, '' he said. Long also noted : `` Early on there was some talk that we would go into a room at the end of the season and come out with a top four, but that did n't last long. '' In analyzing this change in thinking, Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated commented : `` The whole point of the selection committee was to replace the simplistic horse - race nature of Top 25 polls -- where teams only move up if someone above them loses -- with a more deliberative evaluation method. Now the playoff folks are going to try to do both. '' Addressing the `` pecking order '' nature of traditional polls, George Schrodeder of USA Today wrote that `` if it actually works as intended, we could see volatile swings '' from week to week, with lower - ranked teams moving ahead of higher - ranked teams without either team losing ( a rarity in traditional polls ). Both Long and Bill Hancock, the CFP executive director, say they expect that to happen. The committee 's voting method uses multiple ballots, similar to the NCAA basketball tournament selection process and the entire process is facilitated through custom software developed by Code Authority in Frisco, Texas. From a large initial pool of teams, the group takes numerous votes on successive tiers of teams, considering six at a time and coming to a consensus on how they should be ranked, then repeating the process with the next tier of teams. Discussion and debate happens at each voting step. All votes are by secret ballot, and committee members do not make their ballots public. Each week 's ranking process begins anew, with no weight given to the previous week 's selections. In this fashion, the committee selects the four teams to compete for the national championship. Committee members who are currently employed or financially compensated by a school, or have family members who have a current financial relationship ( which includes football players ), are not allowed to vote for that school. During deliberations about a team 's selection, members with such a conflict of interest can not be present, but can answer factual questions about the institution. All committee members have past ties to certain NCAA institutions, but the committee decided to ignore those ties in the recusal requirements. `` We just boiled it down to where we felt this group was fit to its high integrity and would differentiate from those past relationships, '' Long said. Some football writers, like Dennis Dodd and Mark Schlabach, have said the recusal arrangement is n't transparent or objective, suggesting that members ' alma maters and former coaching jobs should be considered disqualifying conflicts of interest. Impact on scheduling `` Strength of schedule will become such an important factor... that if you want to be under consideration, you need to have a more meaningful schedule than perhaps you 've had in previous years. '' -- Tom Jernstedt, selection committee member Due to the increased emphasis on strength of schedule, teams have considered playing more challenging opponents during the non-conference portion of their schedules. Some teams have traditionally played three or four `` weak '' non-conference opponents, but wins against such low - level competition are unlikely to impress the committee. For teams on the cusp of making the playoff four, `` I think one of the first things the committee will look at is strength of schedule, '' said selector Oliver Luck. Teams in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac - 12 play nine conference games on their twelve - game schedules and thus only have flexibility in choosing their opponents for the three non-league games. Some programs are opting to increase their schedule strength by scheduling high - profile matchups at neutral sites and on weeknights, garnering primetime TV exclusivity. In response to the new playoff system, the Southeastern Conference considered increasing its conference schedule from eight to nine games, with Alabama coach Nick Saban a vocal proponent. According to Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News, `` The prevailing opinion among SEC athletics directors : The SEC is difficult enough that there 's no need for a ninth game. '' Some in the conference, like Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin, opined that a nine - game SEC schedule would result in more teams with two losses. Commissioner Michael Slive and Vanderbilt AD David Williams, among others, supported a stronger out - of - league schedule, which would likely impress the committee. In April 2014, the league voted to mandate that all SEC teams must play a Power Five foe ( ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac - 12, or independent Notre Dame ) in its non-conference slate beginning in 2016. Slive noted this rule `` gives us the added strength - of - schedule we were seeking ''. In 2014, the first year of the College Football Playoff, one team played two opponents from the Power Five, nine of the 14 teams played one Power Five conference opponent and three lower - level opponents ( including one FCS school ), and four teams did not face a Power Five foe. In the spring of 2015, the SEC decided to count games played against Independents BYU and Army toward its Power Five requirement. The ACC, whose teams also play eight conference games ( plus Notre Dame at least once every three years ), also considered moving to a nine - game conference schedule. However, the league opted to stay with the eight - plus - Notre Dame model, stipulating instead that teams would have to play one Power Five school in their non-league slates beginning in 2017, which would include the Notre Dame game or other ACC schools, as will games against another FBS independent, BYU. Despite the push to increase schedule strength, some ACC coaches preferred the scheduling flexibility available with fewer permanent fixtures on a team 's slate. Opinion was split among league athletic directors on moving to a nine - game schedule prior to the vote. An SEC expansion to a nine - game schedule would limit the ACC 's opportunities to play Power Five non-conference opponents. Semifinals Main article : List of College Football Playoff games The College Football Playoff uses a four - team knockout bracket to determine the national champion. Six of the most historic bowl games -- the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Peach Bowl -- rotate as hosts for the semifinals. The rotation is set on a three - year cycle with the following pairings : Rose / Sugar, Orange / Cotton, and Fiesta / Peach. The two semifinal bowls and the other four top - tier bowls are marketed as the New Year 's Six. Three of these bowls played per day, typically on consecutive days that include New Year 's Day. The selection committee seeds the top four teams, and also assigns teams to the at - large bowls ( Cotton, Fiesta, and Peach ) in years when they do not host semifinals. The four - team format pits the No. 1 - ranked team against No. 4 and No. 2 against No. 3. The seeding determines the semifinal bowl game assigned to each matchup ; the No. 1 seed is assigned to the site closest to its campus to prevent it from playing in a `` road '' environment. There are no limits on the number of teams per conference, a change from previous BCS rules. However, some non-semifinal bowl selections still maintain their conference tie - ins, similarly to the BCS 's automatic qualifier berths. A team from one of the `` Group of Five '' conferences is guaranteed a spot in one of the New Year 's Six bowls. Season Semifinal Winner Loser Score Venue 2014 -- 15 Rose Bowl 2 Oregon 3 Florida State 59 -- 20 Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California Sugar Bowl 4 Ohio State 1 Alabama 42 -- 35 Mercedes - Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 2015 -- 16 Orange Bowl 1 Clemson 4 Oklahoma 37 -- 17 Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida Cotton Bowl 2 Alabama 3 Michigan State 38 -- 0 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 2016 -- 17 Fiesta Bowl 2 Clemson 3 Ohio State 31 -- 0 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Peach Bowl 1 Alabama 4 Washington 24 -- 7 Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia 2017 -- 18 Rose Bowl 3 Georgia 2 Oklahoma 54 -- 48 Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California Sugar Bowl 4 Alabama 1 Clemson 24 -- 6 Mercedes - Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 2018 -- 19 Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida Cotton Bowl AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 2019 -- 20 Fiesta Bowl University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona Peach Bowl Mercedes - Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia Championship game Main article : College Football Playoff National Championship Cities around the country bid to host each year 's championship game. The playoff group 's leaders make a selection from those proposals, in a similar fashion to other large sporting events, such as the Super Bowl or NCAA Final Four. Officials say the championship game will be held in a different city each year, and that bids must propose host stadiums with a capacity of at least 65,000 spectators. Under the system, cities can not host both a semifinal game and the title game in the same year. Season Champion Runner - up Score Venue 2014 -- 15 4 Ohio State 2 Oregon 42 -- 20 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas 2015 -- 16 2 Alabama 1 Clemson 45 -- 40 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona 2016 -- 17 2 Clemson 1 Alabama 35 -- 31 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida 2017 -- 18 4 Alabama 3 Georgia 26 - 23 Mercedes - Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia 2018 -- 19 Levi 's Stadium, Santa Clara, California 2019 -- 20 Mercedes - Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 2020 -- 21 Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida 2021 -- 22 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 2022 -- 23 Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park, Inglewood, California 2023 -- 24 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas Appearances For the list of College Football Playoff New Year 's Six Bowl Appearances, see College Football Playoff New Year 's Six. For the list of College Football Playoff National Champions, see College Football Playoff National Championship. College Football Playoff appearances by team Alabama Clemson Georgia Florida State Michigan State Ohio State Oklahoma Oregon Washington Teams that have appeared in the College Football Playoff -- 4 appearances, -- 3 appearances, -- 2 appearances, -- 1 appearance Alabama Clemson Ohio State Teams that have won the College Football Playoff -- 2 championships, -- 1 championship Appearances Team Pct Games Alabama 5. 714 Lost 2015 Sugar Bowl Won 2015 Cotton Bowl ( Dec. 2015 ) Won 2016 CFP National Championship Won 2016 Peach Bowl Lost 2017 CFP National Championship Won 2018 Sugar Bowl Won 2018 CFP National Championship Clemson. 600 Won 2015 Orange Bowl Lost 2016 CFP National Championship Won 2016 Fiesta Bowl ( Dec. 2016 ) Won 2017 CFP National Championship Lost 2018 Sugar Bowl Ohio State. 667 Won 2015 Sugar Bowl Won 2015 CFP National Championship Lost 2016 Fiesta Bowl ( Dec. 2016 ) Oklahoma 0. 000 Lost 2015 Orange Bowl Lost 2018 Rose Bowl Georgia. 500 Won 2018 Rose Bowl Lost 2018 CFP National Championship Oregon. 500 Won 2015 Rose Bowl Lost 2015 CFP National Championship Florida State 0. 000 Lost 2015 Rose Bowl Michigan State 0. 000 Lost 2015 Cotton Bowl ( Dec. 2015 ) Washington 0. 000 Lost 2016 Peach Bowl College Football Playoff appearances by conference Conference Appearances Pct Championships # of teams Teams ( s ) SEC 5 6. 667 Alabama ( 4 ) Georgia ( 1 ) ACC. 500 Clemson ( 3 ) Florida State ( 1 ) Big Ten. 500 Ohio State ( 2 ) Michigan State ( 1 ) Pac - 12. 333 0 Oregon ( 1 ) Washington ( 1 ) Big 12 0. 000 0 Oklahoma ( 2 ) Broadcasting The television broadcast rights to all six CFP bowls and the National Championship are owned by ESPN through at least the 2025 season. ESPN then reached 12 - year agreements to retain rights to the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Sugar Bowl following the dissolution of the Bowl Championship Series. In November, ESPN reached a 12 - year deal to broadcast the remaining three bowls, the championship game, as well as shoulder programming such as ranking shows ; as a whole, the contract is valued at around $470 million per year, or nearly $5.7 billion for the life of the contract. Ratings The inaugural College Football Playoff games in January 2015 generated larger ratings than previous BCS games. The 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship had an 18.9 Nielsen rating and was watched by approximately 33.4 million people, the largest broadcast audience of all time on American cable television ( non-broadcast ), according to AdWeek. That was a 31 percent audience increase over the previous year 's championship game and a 22 percent increase over the BCS title game 's best rating on cable ( a 16.1 rating in 2011 ). The semifinal games, the 2015 Rose Bowl and 2015 Sugar Bowl, saw 28.16 million and 28.27 million viewers, respectively. According to ESPN, these games also set ( and briefly held ) all - time records for cable TV viewership. In 2015, the ratings for the two semifinal games were down from the prior season 's equivalents, with the Orange Bowl reaching a 9.7 rating ( in comparison to 15.5 for the 2015 Rose Bowl ) and the Cotton Bowl reaching a 9.9 rating ( in comparison to a 15.3 rating for the 2015 Sugar Bowl ). On the online WatchESPN streaming service, excluding 2014 FIFA World Cup games, the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl drew the second and third - largest streaming audiences in the service 's history, behind the 2015 national championship. The ratings drops were attributed to the New Year 's Eve time slot, as fewer people were at home to watch the game. The decline in ratings was a factor in changes for the scheduling of future CFP semi-final games. Revenue In 2012, ESPN reportedly paid about $7.3 billion over 12 years for broadcasting rights to all seven games, an average of about $608 million per year. That includes $215 million per year which was already committed to the Rose, Sugar and Orange bowls, plus $470 -- 475 million annually for the rest of the package. By comparison, the most recent contract with the BCS and the Rose Bowl had paid approximately $155 million per year for five games. The average revenue to the new system over 12 years is to be about $500 million per year. After $125 -- 150 million in expenses, the Power Five conferences split about 71.5 percent of the remaining money, for an approximate average payout of $250 million a year ( $50 million per league ) over the life of the contract. The `` Group of Five '' conferences split 27 percent, about $90 million a year ( $18 million per league ). Notre Dame receives around one percent, about $3.5 - 4 million, and other FBS independents get about 0.5 percent of the deal. Extra revenue goes to conferences in contracts with the Rose, Sugar, and Orange bowls, which split revenue 50 / 50 between their participating leagues. In non-semifinal years, the Rose Bowl 's TV revenue would be divided between the Big Ten and Pac - 12 conferences ; likewise, the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl revenue to its participant conferences. When those bowls are semifinal games, the money is distributed by the playoff system to all FBS conferences. ESPN has paid about $80 million a year each for the Rose and Sugar bowls over 12 years. The Orange Bowl deal is worth $55 million per year. For example, in a non-semifinal year, the Big Ten could receive about $90 million ( half of its $80 million Rose Bowl deal plus about $50 million from the playoff system ). Conferences receive an additional $6 million each year for each team it places in the semifinals and $4 million for a team in one of the three at - large bowls ; Notre Dame receives the same amount in either scenario. No additional money is awarded for reaching the championship game. The Power Five conferences and the `` Group of Five '' have not decided on their respective revenue - sharing formulas, though the SEC initially receives more revenue than the other four Power Five conferences due to its BCS success. Reports say the money is to be divided based on several criteria such as `` on - field success, teams ' expenses, marketplace factors and academic performance of student - athletes. '' The playoff system awards academic performance bonuses of $300,000 per school for meeting the NCAA 's Academic Progress Rate standard of 930. In a hypothetical 14 - team conference, $4.2 million ( $300,000 x 14 ) would be allocated to that league, and if only 12 of the 14 members meet the APR standard, then each of the 12 schools would receive $350,000 ( $4.2 million / 12 ), penalizing schools that fall below the threshold. Leadership BCS Properties, LLC holds all properties related to the College Football Playoff. Previous BCS commissioner Bill Hancock is the executive director of the playoff organization, with former ACC Senior Associate Commissioner Michael Kelly as COO. Like the BCS, the playoff system 's management committee consists of the conference commissioners from the 10 FBS conferences and Notre Dame 's athletic director. The playoff system 's headquarters is in Irving, Texas. Board of Managers According to the CFP website, the system 's operations are controlled by the Board of Managers, which consists of presidents and chancellors of the playoff group 's member universities. The eleven members have sole authority to develop, review and approve annual budgets, policies and operating guidelines. The group also selects the company 's officers. Rodney Bennett -- President, Southern Mississippi ( C - USA ) Anthony Frank -- President, Colorado State ( Mountain West ) Burns Hargis -- President, Oklahoma State ( Big 12 ) Jack Hawkins -- Chancellor, Troy ( Sun Belt ) Rev. John I. Jenkins -- President, Notre Dame ( Independent ) Mark Keenum -- President, Mississippi State ( SEC ) Roderick McDavis -- President, Ohio ( MAC ) Max Nikias -- President, USC ( Pac - 12 ) Harvey Perlman ( chair ) -- Chancellor, Nebraska ( Big Ten ) Donna Shalala -- President, Miami ( Fla. ) ( ACC ) Steadman Upham -- President, Tulsa ( The American ) Athletics directors advisory group According to the CFP website, the Athletics Directors Advisory Group is appointed by the management committee to `` offer counsel '' on the operations of the system. As an advisory board, it has no authority in the management of the CFP. Gary Barta, Iowa ( Big Ten ) Tom Bowen, Memphis ( The American ) Tom Burman, Wyoming ( Mountain West ) Joe Castiglione, Oklahoma ( Big 12 ) Jeremy Foley, Florida ( SEC ) Dan Guerrero, UCLA ( Pac - 12 ) Chris Massaro, Middle Tennessee State ( C - USA ) Terry Mohajir, Arkansas State ( Sun Belt ) Mike O'Brien, Toledo ( MAC ) Stan Wilcox, Florida State ( ACC ) Criticism Although being generally well received, the College Football Playoff has been criticized much like its predecessor, the Bowl Championship Series, which had several controversies. Team selection Chief among the criticisms was the subjective element of the selection process such as basing rankings on metrics such as strength of schedule and conference as opposed to solely basing rankings on a team 's win - loss record. One particular similarity between the old BCS and the current Playoff system is both have been alleged to be biased toward schools, programs and conferences with large financial endowments ( being the perceived favoritism with the SEC the most outstanding argument ), hurting the chances of smaller schools with fewer athletic resources. Undefeated teams from less wealthy conferences can be passed over for teams with losses from richer conferences. For example, in 2017, Central Florida was the only undefeated team in FBS, but was passed over in favor of four 1 - loss teams from the `` Power - 5 '' conferences. Central Florida went on to defeat Auburn ( who had earlier defeated CFP champion Alabama and split a two - game season series with CFP runner - up Georgia ) in the Peach Bowl, causing many to question the Knights ' exclusion from the Playoff. Because the tournament has four teams, at least one Power Five champion misses the playoffs every season. However, not all teams selected have been conference winners. In the 2016 -- 17 season, one of the teams selected was Ohio State, who did not qualify to the Big Ten Championship Game. As a result, both the Big Ten and Big 12 champions were not selected for the playoffs. In the 2017 -- 18 season, two of the four selected teams were from the SEC : conference champions Georgia,, and Alabama, who lost to SEC runner - up Auburn. Analysts have discussed whether the committee should selected conference champions only. Another critique centered around a perceived bias against smaller conferences such as the Big 12 which used to not stage a conference championship game, but was reintroduced for the 2017 season. The American addressed this issue by adding Navy to its ranks for 2015, bringing its membership to 12 teams, which allowed it to stage a conference championship game under then - current NCAA rules. Starting with the 2016 season, FBS conferences will be allowed to stage football championship games even if they do not have 12 members. There are opinions labeling the CFP system `` just as '' or `` even more polarizing '' than the BCS or the old wire - service poll system. Selection committee The qualifications of selection committee members has also been scrutinized. As an outsider to the sports world, Condoleezza Rice was the focus of some criticism. Former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden opined that the committee 's members should be `` people who played the game and preferably coached the game ''. Former Auburn head coach Pat Dye said that `` All she knows about football is what somebody told her... or what she read in a book, or what she saw on television. To understand football, you 've got to play with your hand in the dirt ''. Former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese also gained membership on the selection committee despite having never played football in college. Former sportswriter Steve Weiberg and retired U.S. Air Force General Michael Gould are other committee members without significant football playing, coaching or administrative experience. Scheduling The semifinal games for the 2015 season were scheduled for December 31 ; they were expected to have lower television viewership because the date is not a federal holiday, and because the second game faced heavy competition for television viewers in primetime from New Year 's Eve specials ( such as New Year 's Rockin ' Eve, which is aired by ESPN 's sister broadcast network ABC ). Under television contracts with ESPN that predate the College Football Playoff, both the Rose and Sugar Bowl games are guaranteed exclusive TV time slots on January 1 ( or January 2 if New Year 's Day falls on a Sunday ), regardless of whether they are hosting a semifinal game. In an interview with CBS Sports, CFP commissioner Bill Hancock suggested this scheduling issue would `` change the paradigm of what New Year 's Eve is all about, '' opining that `` if you 're hosting a New Year 's Eve party, you better have a bunch of televisions around. '' Although ESPN proposed moving the Thursday, December 31, 2015 semifinal games to Saturday, January 2, 2016, the idea was rejected. The semifinal games ' ratings were ultimately down significantly from those of the previous season. In an effort to reduce the impact of their New Year 's Eve scheduling, the 2016 semifinal games, which fell on a Saturday, had earlier kickoff times, at 3 : 00 p.m. and 7 : 00 p.m. ET respectively. The 2016 Orange Bowl was played in primetime on December 30, 2016, rather than in an early afternoon window on New Year 's Eve. Hancock considered the earlier start times to be a compromise to reduce the games ' intrusion into New Year 's Eve festivities, but reiterated that there were no plans to move the semi-final games from New Year 's Eve outside of years where they are hosted by the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. On July 28, 2016, however, Hancock reversed this stance and announced revisions to the scheduling for future College Football Playoff semi-final games. The games were rescheduled so that they will not necessarily be played on New Year 's Eve yearly : outside of years when they are hosted by the Rose and Sugar Bowls ( where they retain their traditional New Year 's Day scheduling ), they will now be scheduled primarily on the last Saturday or federally observed holiday of the year. In some years, this date will land on New Year 's Eve. In 2021, the games will be played on Friday, December 31, because the day will be observed as a holiday. 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College Football Playoff official website. October 14, 2013. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Jump up ^ Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About the College Football Playoff Selection Committee Archived 2014 - 01 - 26 at the Wayback Machine., College Football Playoff, January 21, 2014 Jump up ^ Jeff Long to Serve as Chairman of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, College Football Playoff, October 13, 2013 ^ Jump up to : Dinich, Heather ( August 27, 2017 ). `` Meet the College Football Playoff selection committee ''. ESPN. con. Retrieved August 28, 2017. Jump up ^ College Football Playoff Names Kirby Hocutt Chair of Selection Committee, collegefootballplayoff.com, January 14, 2016 ^ Jump up to : Matt Hayes ( July 17, 2013 ). `` College Football Playoff selection committee to include current ADs ''. SportingNews.com. Retrieved July 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Schroeder, Dave ( July 16, 2014 ). `` Power Five 's College Football Playoff revenues will double what BCS paid ''. USA Today. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Jump up ^ Brett McMurphy ( May 29, 2013 ). `` Parameters for selectors in place ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved August 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Phil Fulmer eyes selection committee ''. August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Pat Forde ( June 18, 2013 ). `` College Football Playoff brass one step closer to establishing selection committee ''. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved July 30, 2013. ^ Jump up to : George Schroeder ( Sep 25, 2013 ). `` Playoff selection committee to be set by season 's end ''. USA Today. Retrieved September 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Haden Steps Down ''. ESPN.com. October 30, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Oliver Luck joins NCAA ''. ESPN.com. December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Heather Dinich ( January 9, 2015 ). `` Bill Hancock, Archie Manning talk playoff ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved January 24, 2015. Jump up ^ Hancock Announces Membership Changes to CFP Selection Committee Archived 2015 - 03 - 29 at the Wayback Machine., Collegefootballplayoff.com, Mar 27, 2015 Jump up ^ `` Lloyd Carr resigns from CFP for health reasons ''. Sportingnews.com. Jump up ^ Stewart Mandel ( October 16, 2013 ). `` Condoleezza Rice discusses her role on the selection committee ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 12, 2014. Jump up ^ Chuck Carlton ( October 15, 2013 ). `` How controversial Condoleezza Rice pick will affect Dallas ' national championship game ''. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 12, 2014. Jump up ^ Brett McMurphy ( April 29, 2014 ). `` CFP to release rankings on Tuesdays ''. ESPN.com. Missing or empty url = ( help ) ; access - date = requires url = ( help ) ^ Jump up to : George Schroeder ( April 3, 2014 ). `` College Football Playoff committee discusses recusals ''. USA Today. Retrieved April 25, 2014. Jump up ^ Stewart Mandel ( March 10, 2014 ). `` How could a mid-major qualify for the College Football Playoff ? ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 12, 2014. Jump up ^ Jon Solomon ( July 17, 2013 ). `` Report : College Football Playoff committee will use current athletics directors ''. AL.com. Retrieved August 11, 2013. Jump up ^ Tom Van Riper ( March 1, 2014 ). `` College Football 's Playoff Problem ''. Forbes.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Playoff committee sets parameters ''. ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014. Jump up ^ Stewart Mandel ( April 30, 2014 ). `` College Football Playoff to release polls... but why ? ''. SI.com. Retrieved May 20, 2014. ^ Jump up to : George Schroeder ( May 1, 2014 ). `` Playoff decided on field, but questioned everywhere else ''. USA Today. Retrieved May 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Jenni Carlson ( December 2, 2015 ). `` How an Oklahoma software developer wound up in the middle of college football 's biggest decision ''. newsok.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017. Jump up ^ Mark Schlabach ( May 1, 2014 ). `` How to say ' I recuse myself ' ? ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved May 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Dennis Dodd ( April 30, 2014 ). `` Flimsy recusal policy puts bull 's - eye on playoff selection committee ''. CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Brad Edwards ( December 18, 2013 ). `` The playoff 's SOS problem ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014. Jump up ^ Stephen J. Nesbitt ( March 10, 2014 ). `` Lure of big game alters NCAA football ''. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 25, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Ross Dellinger ( April 6, 2014 ). `` How Verge Ausberry, LSU approach modern - day football schedules ''. The Advocate. Retrieved April 25, 2014. Jump up ^ Kevin Scarbinsky ( February 3, 2014 ). `` Does n't Auburn know Thursday nights are where top - 10 teams go to die ? ''. AL.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` SEC sticking with 8 - game league football schedule ''. Associated Press. April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Jon Solomon ( March 7, 2014 ). `` Majority of SEC ADs favor 8 league football games, but presidents will help as decision nears ''. AL.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014. Jump up ^ Dennis Dodd ( March 3, 2014 ). `` Will the playoff selection committee influence conference scheduling ? ''. CBSSports.com. Retrieved April 25, 2014. Jump up ^ Andrea Adelson and Brett McMurphy ( May 14, 2014 ). `` Vote : ACC games as nonconference ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved May 20, 2014. Jump up ^ McMurphy, Brett ( January 29, 2015 ). `` ACC : BYU to count as Power 5 team ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved February 3, 2015. Jump up ^ Heather Dinich ( February 6, 2014 ). `` ACC coaches to discuss 9 - game schedule ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved April 28, 2014. Jump up ^ Heather Dinich ( April 29, 2014 ). `` ACC schedule not set ; vote looms ? ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved April 30, 2014. Jump up ^ Jeremy Fowler ( April 27, 2014 ). `` ACC watching SEC 's 8 - vs. 9 - game scheduling decision closely ''. CBSSports.com. Retrieved April 28, 2014. Jump up ^ Tim Tucker ( April 18, 2014 ). `` Chick - fil - A Bowl will restore ' Peach ' to its name ''. Atlanta Journal - Constitution. Retrieved April 20, 2014. Jump up ^ Staff reports ( July 22, 2013 ). `` Sources : ' New Year 's Six ' likely the working title for College Football Playoff 's six bowl games ''. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` College Football Playoff Releases Details of Selection Committee Procedure ''. College Football Playoff. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014. Jump up ^ The Playoff factsheet, College Football Playoff, January 2014 Jump up ^ Stewart Mandel ( 12 November 2012 ). `` Stewart Mandel : Big East, rest of ' Group of Five ' score victory with six - bowl decision ''. SI.com. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Jerry Hinnen ( August 7, 2013 ). `` CFB playoff opens bidding for 2016, ' 17 championship games ''. CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 9, 2013. Jump up ^ `` ESPN to televise college football playoff in 12 - year deal ''. ESPN. April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` ESPN Reaches 12 - Year College Football Agreement With Orange Bowl ''. Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2012. Jump up ^ `` ESPN Strikes Deal for College Football Playoff ''. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 9 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` College Football Playoff final sets ratings record for ESPN, cable TV ''. Los Angeles Times. January 13, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Chicago Tribune ( January 13, 2015 ). `` New college football playoff draws larger TV audience for title game ''. chicagotribune.com. Retrieved January 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Win for ESPN, but Title Game Is the Real Test ''. The New York Times. January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Derek Volner ( January 13, 2015 ). `` College Football Playoff National Championship on ESPN Delivers Largest Audience in Cable History ; ESPN Streaming Record for non-World Cup Programming ''. ESPN Media Zone. Retrieved January 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Bill Chappell ( January 13, 2015 ). `` College Football Championship Sets A New Cable Ratings Record ''. NPR. Retrieved January 17, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` College Football Playoff TV ratings drop with New Year 's Eve time slots ''. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 1 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : John Ourand and Michael Smith ( November 9, 2012 ). `` ESPN homes in on 12 - year BCS package ''. Sports Business Daily. Retrieved July 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Jerry Hinnen ( November 21, 2012 ). `` ESPN reaches 12 - year deal to air college football playoffs ''. CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 11, 2013. Jump up ^ Chrise Smith ( April 27, 2012 ). `` A BCS Playoff TV Contract Will Be Worth More Than $1 Billion ''. Forbes. Retrieved September 18, 2017. ^ Jump up to : George Schroeder ( December 12, 2012 ). `` College football playoff revenue distribution set ''. USA Today. Retrieved April 26, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Brett McMurphy ( December 11, 2012 ). `` Big earnings for power conferences ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved April 26, 2014. Jump up ^ Michael Smith & John Ourand ( October 15, 2012 ). `` ESPN focuses on BCS, Big East media rights ''. Sports Business Daily. Retrieved August 11, 2013. Jump up ^ Mark Schlabach ( June 26, 2012 ). `` Playoff approved, questions remain ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved August 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Ralph D. Russo ( November 12, 2012 ). `` College football playoff to have 6 games, not 7 ''. Associated Press. Retrieved August 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Kercheval, Ben ( 23 April 2013 ). `` College football 's new playoff will be called... ' College Football Playoff ' ''. ^ Jump up to : Vahe Gregorian ( July 1, 2013 ). `` As College Football Playoff nears, Bill Hancock readies for change ''. Kansas City Star. Retrieved July 24, 2013. Jump up ^ Michael Smith ( November 19, 2013 ). `` ACC 's Kelly joins football playoff system ''. Sports Business Journal. Retrieved July 30, 2013. Jump up ^ Stewart Mandel ( June 20, 2013 ). `` College Football Playoff crazy to forgo committee ' dry run ' in 2013 ''. SI.com. Retrieved July 30, 2013. Jump up ^ Stewart Mandel ( April 23, 2013 ). `` Flawed BCS replaced with better, if imperfect College Football Playoff ''. SI.com. Retrieved July 30, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Governane ''. College Football Playoff. Retrieved July 7, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Lessons of 2011 may still apply to College Football Playoff process ''. USA TODAY. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Chuck Culpepper ( 7 December 2014 ). `` College Football Playoff field set but controversy lingers with Ohio State in, TCU snubbed ''. Washington Post. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Pete Thamel ( 7 December 2014 ). `` Vague playoff criteria set to cause chaos after Championship Saturday ''. SI.com. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Shurtleff, Mark L. ( October 1, 2011 ). `` BCS has devolved college football into unfairness, greed ''. The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 25, 2012. Jump up ^ Fox Sports. `` Videos - FOX Sports ''. FOX Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Michael Bird ( 6 January 2015 ). `` What the hell happened to the SEC West ? ''. SBNation.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` SEC Has Fallen And Ca n't Get Up ''. 17 November 2016. Jump up ^ Fox Sports. `` Baylor, TCU take it on the chin yet again from CFP committee ''. FOX Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Will Leitch. `` The playoff may still be unkind to undefeated teams ''. SportsonEarth.com. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Will the Alabama Outrage Spur More Changes to College Football 's Format ? - Andy Staples, Sports Illustrated, 3 December 2017 Jump up ^ College Football Playoff : Alabama Is In, Ohio State Is Out - Marc Tracy, Los Angeles Times, 3 December 2017 Jump up ^ Jon Wilner ( 7 December 2014 ). `` College football : Controversy reigns, as ever, over playoff selections ''. The Mercury News. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` College football : FBS conferences with fewer than 12 members now able to hold championship game '' ( Press release ). NCAA. January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016. Jump up ^ `` 8 teams the College Football Playoff committee got totally wrong - FOX Sports ''. Jump up ^ `` Is College Football Playoff Committee Losing Its Legitimacy ? ''. 7 November 2016. Jump up ^ `` The College Football Playoff has become more controversial than the BCS ''. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Joel Klatt : The College Football Playoff Committee is a joke - THE HERD - FOX Sports ''. Jump up ^ Kevin Trahan ( 27 October 2014 ). `` Tommy Bowden does not think Condoleezza Rice should be on the College Football Playoff committee ''. SBNation.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ Cork Gaines ( 8 October 2013 ). `` People Do n't Want Condoleezza Rice On College Football 's Playoff Selection Committee - Business Insider ''. Business Insider. Retrieved 10 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` College Football Playoff drops ball with 2015 New Year 's Eve semis ''. SI.com. January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Tony Barnhart ( January 6, 2014 ). `` Before BCS ends, the whens, wheres, whys of College Football Playoff ''. CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 17, 2015. Jump up ^ Richard Deitsch ( July 2, 2015 ). `` A daunting task : Can the CFP, ESPN change old New Year 's Eve habits ? ''. SI.com. Retrieved July 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Orange Bowl game is shifted to prime time on Dec. 30 ''. Miami Herald. Retrieved 9 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` The 2017 College Football Playoff will still be on New Year 's Eve, but it 'll start earlier ''. SB Nation. Retrieved 9 March 2016. Jump up ^ `` College Football Playoff semis will only be on Saturdays or holidays ''. SI.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016. External links Official website College Football Playoff Championships Overview College Football Playoff National Championship Games 2014 -- 15 2015 -- 16 2016 -- 17 2017 -- 18 2018 -- 19 2019 -- 20 2020 -- 21 Semifinal Bowls Rose 2014 ( Jan 2015 ) 2017 ( Jan 2018 ) 2020 ( Jan 2021 ) Sugar 2014 ( Jan 2015 ) 2017 ( Jan 2018 ) 2020 ( Jan 2021 ) Orange 2015 ( Dec 2015 ) 2018 ( Dec 2018 ) Cotton 2015 ( Dec 2015 ) 2018 ( Dec 2018 ) Peach 2016 ( Dec 2016 ) 2019 ( Dec 2019 ) Fiesta 2016 ( Dec 2016 ) 2019 ( Dec 2019 ) Other List of College Football Playoff games New Year 's Six College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy NCAA Division I FBS champions Mythical national championship Plus - One system Power Five conferences Championship games for each season are played in January, while semifinal games are identified by season year, alternating between December and January Links to related articles Systems used to determine college football national championships NCAA Division I-A / FBS Various polling systems ( 1869 -- present ) Bowl Coalition ( 1992 -- 1994 ) Bowl Alliance ( 1995 -- 1997 ) Bowl Championship Series ( 1998 -- 2013 ) College Football Playoff ( 2014 -- present ) NCAA Division I - AA / FCS NCAA Division I Football Championship ( 1978 -- present ) NCAA Division II NCAA Division II Football Championship ( 1973 -- present ) NCAA Division III NCAA Division III Football Championship ( 1973 -- present ) NAIA Divisions NAIA Football National Championship ( 1956 -- present ) NAIA Division II Football National Championship ( 1970 -- 1996 ) Additional systems Black college football national championship NCCAA Victory Bowl ( 1997 -- present ) NCAA Division I FBS bowl games College Football Playoff Championship Game Cotton Fiesta Orange Peach Rose Sugar Other bowl games Alamo Arizona Armed Forces Bahamas Belk Birmingham Boca Raton Cactus Camellia Camping World Citrus Cure Dollar General Famous Idaho Potato Foster Farms Frisco Gasparilla Hawaii Heart of Dallas Holiday Independence Las Vegas Liberty Military Music City New Mexico New Orleans Outback Pinstripe Quick Lane Sun TaxSlayer Texas All - Star games East -- West Shrine Game NFLPA Collegiate Bowl Senior Bowl Rose Bowl Game History & conference tie - ins History Rose Bowl Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters Big Ten Conference Pac - 12 Conference Games 1902 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Notes No games were held from 1903 to 1915. The 1942 game was played at Duke Stadium in Durham, NC, due to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The game was also the national title game for the Bowl Championship Series in 2002 and 2006. The game was a College Football Playoff semifinal in its 2015 and 2018 editions. Sugar Bowl Game History & conference tie - ins History Tulane Stadium Georgia Dome Mercedes - Benz Superdome College Football Playoff Broadcasters Southeastern Conference Big 12 Conference Games 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1972 1973 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Notes The 2006 game took place in Atlanta, Georgia due to Hurricane Katrina. The game was also the national title game for either the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, or Bowl Championship Series in 1993, 1997, 2000, and 2004. There was a Sugar Bowl in January and December in 1972 and 1995. The game was a College Football Playoff semifinal in its 2015 and 2018 editions. Orange Bowl Game History & conference tie - ins History Miami Orange Bowl Hard Rock Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters Atlantic Coast Conference Big Ten Conference Southeastern Conference Notre Dame Games 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2014 2015 2016 2017 Notes The game was also the national title game for either the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, or Bowl Championship Series in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2001, and 2005. There was an Orange Bowl in January and December in 1996 and 2014. The game was a College Football Playoff semifinal in its 2015 edition. Cotton Bowl Classic History & conference tie - ins History Cotton Bowl AT&T Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters Playoff At - Large Group of Five Games 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1966 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2015 2017 2017 Notes There was a Cotton Bowl Classic in January and December in 1966, 2015 and 2017 There was no Cotton Bowl Classic in 1967 or 2016 The game was a College Football Playoff semifinal in its December 2015 edition Peach Bowl Game History & conference tie - ins History Bobby Dodd Stadium Atlanta -- Fulton County Stadium Georgia Dome Mercedes - Benz Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters College Football Playoff At - Large Group of Five Games 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1981 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1988 1989 1990 1992 1993 1993 1995 1995 1998 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2018 Fiesta Bowl Game History & conference tie - ins History Sun Devil Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium College Football Playoff Broadcasters College Football Playoff At - Large Group of Five Bid Games 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2014 2016 2016 2017 Notes The game was also the national title game for either the Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, or Bowl Championship Series in 1996, 1999, and 2003. There was a Fiesta Bowl in January and December in 1997, 2014, and 2016. The game was a College Football Playoff semifinal in its December 2016 edition. New Year 's Eve and New Year 's Day Events America 's Party First Night Hogmanay New Year 's Eve in London Objects dropped on New Year 's Eve Peach Drop Pelican Drop Réveillon de Copacabana Sydney New Year 's Eve The Possum Drop Times Square Ball Vienna New Year 's Concert Sports College Football Playoff bowls Rose Orange Sugar Fiesta Cotton Peach Citrus Bowl Gator Bowl Outback Bowl Tour de Ski Four Hills Tournament NHL Winter Classic Spengler Cup Final IIHF World U20 Championship Saint Silvester Road Race New Year Sprint Nos Galan road race Parades Tournament of Roses Parade London 's New Year 's Day Parade Florida Citrus Parade Mummers Parade Television New Year 's Rockin ' Eve Fox 's New Year 's Eve with Steve Harvey New Year 's Eve with Carson Daly New Year Live CNN New Year 's Eve Live ¡ Feliz ! MTV New Year 's The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Bye Bye Dinner for One Happy New Year, America Hogmanay Live Hootenanny Kōhaku Uta Gassen Little Blue Light Only an Excuse ? Red Bull New Year No Limits Rudolph 's Shiny New Year Scotch and Wry Silvesterstadl `` Silvesterpunsch `` 2000 Today ( US, Ireland ) Happy New Year, Charlie Brown ! First Night 2013 with Jamie Kennedy Music `` Auld Lang Syne '' `` Happy New Year '' `` What Are You Doing New Year 's Eve ? '' `` Levy - Dew '' `` New Year 's Day '' Related topics New Year films Gregorian calendar Baby New Year Calennig Hogmanay Holiday season Leap second Guy Lombardo New Year 's resolution New Year tree Saint Sylvester 's Day Vasilopita Watchnight service Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=College_Football_Playoff&oldid=832914550 '' Categories : College Football Playoff 2014 establishments in the United States Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Pages using web citations with no URL Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français 日本 語 Polski Português 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 28 March 2018, at 17 : 28. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: when does the playoff for college football start
Answer: Friday, Saturday, or Monday close to or on New Years Day