# 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 155th season of college football in the United States, the 119th season organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the 49th of the highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 24 and ended on December 14. The postseason began on December 14, and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, end on January 20, 2025, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This was the first season of the new College Football Playoff (CFP) system, with the bracket being expanded to 12 teams.
It was the first time since the 2021 season that no major team finished the season undefeated, as the Oregon Ducks, the season's last undefeated team, were defeated by the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes 41–21 in the Rose Bowl. The season's Heisman Trophy winner was Colorado Buffaloes cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter, the first two-way player to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997.

## Conference realignment

One school is playing its first FBS season in 2024; Kennesaw State (from FCS independents) began its transition from Division I FCS in 2023 and joined Conference USA (CUSA) in July 2024. One formerly independent school, Army, joined the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2024. SMU left the AAC and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2024.
Overall, 10 schools from the Pac-12 left for another conference in 2024. The 10 teams and their new conferences are:
* Big 12: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah
* ACC: California and Stanford
* Big Ten: Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington
The remaining two schools in the Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State, made an agreement with the Mountain West Conference (MW) such that each remaining Pac-12 team will play six MW teams in 2024.
| Team | Conference in 2023 | Conference in 2024 |
| Arizona | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
| Arizona State | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
| Army | Independent (FBS) | American |
| California | Pac-12 | ACC |
| Colorado | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
| Kennesaw State | Independent (FCS) | CUSA |
| Oklahoma | Big 12 | SEC |
| Oregon | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
| SMU | American | ACC |
| Stanford | Pac-12 | ACC |
| Texas | Big 12 | SEC |
| UCLA | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
| USC | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
| Utah | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
| Washington | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
The 2024 season is the last for one team as an FBS independent.
| School | Current conference | Future conference |
| UMass | Independent (FBS) | MAC |
Two FCS schools, Delaware and Missouri State, started transitioning their programs to FBS in the 2024 season. The two schools are respectively playing that season in CAA Football and the Missouri Valley Football Conference, but will not be eligible for the FCS playoffs due to NCAA transition rules. Both will join CUSA in 2025.
| School | Current conference | Future conference |
| Delaware | CAA Football (FCS) | CUSA |
| Missouri State | Missouri Valley (FCS) | CUSA |
On September 12, 2024, the Pac-12 announced that MW members Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State would join the Pac-12 in 2026. On September 24, 2024, the Pac-12 announced that another MW member, Utah State, would also join alongside the four aforementioned schools in 2026. This will bring the Pac-12 to seven members, one short of the number needed to preserve its status as an FBS conference. On October 1, 2024, UTEP announced that it would join the Mountain West from Conference USA starting in 2026. This gave the MW seven full football-sponsoring members in the 2026 season; it had to add at least one more such member no later than 2028–29 to preserve its FBS status. The needed eighth member proved to be current football-only member Hawaii. On October 14, Hawaii athletic director Craig Angelos confirmed outside reports that the school would upgrade to full MW membership in 2026. The MW officially announced this move the next day. On January 7, 2025, the Mountain West got a ninth member in Mid-American Conference member Northern Illinois joining as a football-only affiliate.

## Rule changes

The following rule changes were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel for the 2024 season:
* Implementing a timeout at the first dead ball on or after the two-minute mark of the second and fourth quarters (similar to the NFL's two-minute warning). The following timing rules were synchronized to start after the two-minute timeout:
** Stopping the game clock when the offense gains a first down inbounds, then restarting after the chains are set.
** Situations where a 10-second runoff is required will now begin after the two-minute timeout instead of in the final minute of each half, mirroring an NFL rule change since 2017.
** If the defense commits an illegal substitution foul where 12 or more players participated in the down, in addition to the yardage penalty, the offense has the option to have the game clock reset to the time remaining before the snap. If the 12th player was in the process of leaving the field and not participating when the ball was snapped, the penalty enforcement will not include the clock reset option. This in-season change was a result of the Oregon Ducks using this tactic in the final 10 seconds of their game with the Ohio State Buckeyes on October 12.
* Allowing use of coach-to-player communications via the helmet for one player (indicated by a green dot on the helmet), which would be turned off either with 15 seconds on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever occurs first.
* The use of up to 18 tablets per team on the sidelines for in-game video only is now permitted.
* Team personnel (player/coach/assistant/etc.) who enter the field to engage officials with a tablet to review video of a play(s) are assessed an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct (15 yards) penalty which counts toward their limit of two before ejection.
* Division III adopted the first down timing rules that were implemented for FBS, FCS, and Division II in the 2023 season.
* Allowing conferences to use a collaborative instant replay system as a regular (instead of an experimental) rule.
* Horse-collar tackles within the tackle box are now penalized as a personal foul (15 yards). Previously this action was not penalized within the tackle box.
* Head coaches are permitted to be interviewed by the media at the end of the first and third quarters, making permanent an experimental rule.
* Once the referee declares the first half ended, no replay reviews for that half are permitted.
* Commercial sponsor logos are permitted on three areas of the playing field.
* Any "hide-out" play, with or without a substitution, is considered a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (15 yards).
Points of emphasis for the 2024 season include:
* Continued emphasis on targeting, taunting, concussions, feigning injuries, and low hits to the quarterback.
* Pre-snap actions (false start on offense, and disconcerting signals/causing the offense to false start) continue to be a point of emphasis, including editorial changes that if a defensive player is lined up within one yard of the line of scrimmage, he may not rush the line with the intent of causing a false start, and that any movement by the offense that simulates action will be a false start.
* Offensive alignment, including attention to eligible receivers being covered up by another player and other "gadget plays", will be strictly enforced.

## Headlines

* January 25, 2024 – The Mid-American Conference announced that it would eliminate its football divisions, effective immediately. The championship game will instead involve the top two teams in the conference standings.
* April 22 – The NCAA Division I Board of Directors announced the following:
** Effective immediately, all student-athletes who meet certain academic requirements will be immediately eligible when transferring to a new school, regardless of whether they had transferred before. Previously, all transfers after the first, except for graduate transfers, required that the student-athlete receive an NCAA waiver in order to be immediately eligible.
** Also effective immediately, schools will be allowed to directly assist their athletes in reaching name, image, and likeness deals.
** After the end of the Pac-12 Conference's operating year on August 1, the conference was officially removed from autonomy status, effectively turning the Power Five conferences into a Power Four.
* June 25 – The NCAA Division I Council announced the following:
** Effective immediately, all members of a team's staff can provide coaching services. While this effectively lifts most limits on the size of coaching staffs, it does not change limits on the number of coaches who can recruit off-campus, graduate assistants, or strength and conditioning coaches.
** Also effective immediately, cannabinoids were removed from the list of banned drugs in football. Penalties being served by student-athletes who had tested positive for cannabinoids were ended.
** The Council voted to introduce a proposal that would reduce the duration of the transfer portal in football and basketball from 45 days to 30. A final vote was expected in October.
* August 27:
** The oversight committees for FBS and FCS recommended that the transfer portal be open only for a 30-day period, starting on the Monday after conference championship games. This will not affect the existing exceptions for participants in postseason games, which allows players to enter the portal within a 5-day window after their team's final game, or players undergoing a coaching change. The Division I Council will vote on the change in October.
** Both oversight committees also approved a change to redshirt rules. Effective immediately, the participation limit of four games for redshirting players no longer includes postseason games — conference championship games, bowls, FCS playoff games, and College Football Playoff games.
* October 9:
** The Division I Council approved the recommended reduction of the FBS and FCS transfer portal to 30 days, though with a different schedule than recommended. The fall window, which opens on the Monday after the FBS conference championship games, will be open only for 20 days. A 10-day spring portal will open in mid-April.
** The council also abolished the National Letter of Intent program effective immediately. Written offers of athletics aid will replace the NLI.

## Stadiums

* Due to stadium renovations at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Kansas Jayhawks played two home games at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas and four home games at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
* Due to the demolition of Ryan Field, with a new stadium of the same name set to open on the site in 2026, the Northwestern Wildcats played five home games at temporary constructed Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois, and two home games at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
* July 16 – Jacksonville State announced that Birmingham-based credit union AmFirst had purchased the naming rights to JSU's stadium, now known as AmFirst Stadium, for a five-year deal.
* August 6 – FIU announced that Miami-based rapper Pitbull had purchased the naming rights to the Panthers' stadium, now known as Pitbull Stadium. The $6 million contract runs for 5 years, with Pitbull having an option to renew for an additional 5 years.

## Kickoff games
### Week 0

The regular season began on Saturday, August 24 with four games in Week 0.
* Aer Lingus College Football Classic:
** Georgia Tech 24, No. 10 Florida State 21 (at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland)
* Montana State 35, New Mexico 31
* SMU 29, Nevada 24
* Hawaii 35, Delaware State 14

### Week 1

* Aflac Kickoff Game:
** No. 1 Georgia 34, No. 14 Clemson 3 (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)
* Vegas Kickoff Classic:
** No. 23 USC 27, No. 13 LSU 20 (at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada)

### Week 2

* Duke's Mayo Classic:
** No. 14 Tennessee 51, No. 24 NC State 10 (at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina)

## Top 10 matchups

Rankings through Week 10 reflect the AP poll. Rankings for Week 11 and beyond list College Football Playoff Rankings first and AP poll rankings second; teams that were not ranked in the top 10 of both polls are noted.

### Regular season

* Week 2
** No. 3 Texas defeated No. 10 Michigan, 31–12 (Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan)
* Week 5
** No. 4 Alabama defeated No. 2 Georgia, 41–34 (Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
* Week 7
** No. 3 Oregon defeated No. 2 Ohio State, 32–31 (Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon)
* Week 8
** No. 5 Georgia defeated No. 1 Texas, 30–15 (Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas)
* Week 10
** No. 4 Ohio State defeated No. 3 Penn State, 20–13 (Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania)
* Week 13
** No. 2/2 Ohio State defeated No. 5/5 Indiana, 38–15 (Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio)

### Conference championship games

* No. 5/5 Georgia defeated No. 2/2 Texas, 22–19 $^{OT}$ (2024 SEC Championship Game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)
* No. 1/1 Oregon defeated No. 3/3 Penn State, 45–37 (2024 Big Ten Football Championship Game, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana)

### Postseason

* CFP First Round (Dec. 20)
** No. 3/5 Notre Dame defeated No. 9/8 Indiana, 27–17 (Notre Dame Stadium - Notre Dame, Indiana)
* CFP First Round (Dec. 21)
** No. 6 Ohio State defeated No. 7 Tennessee, 42–17 (Ohio Stadium - Columbus, Ohio)
* CFP First Round (Dec. 21)
** No. 4/5 Penn State defeated No. 10/12 SMU, 38–10 (Beaver Stadium - University Park, Pennsylvania)
* Fiesta Bowl (CFB Playoff quarterfinal)
** No. 4/5 Penn State defeated No. 8/9 Boise State, 31–14 (State Farm Stadium - Glendale, Arizona)
* Peach Bowl (CFB Playoff quarterfinal)
** No. 4/5 Texas defeated No. 10/12 Arizona State, 39–31 $^{2OT}$ (Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, Georgia)
* Rose Bowl (CFB Playoff quarterfinal)
** No. 6 Ohio State defeated No. 1 Oregon 41–21 (Rose Bowl - Pasadena, California)
* Sugar Bowl (CFB Playoff quarterfinal)
** No. 3/5 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Georgia 23–10 (Caesars Superdome - New Orleans, Louisiana)
* Cotton Bowl (CFB Playoff semifinal)
** No. 6 Ohio State defeated No. 4/5 Texas 28–14 (AT&T Stadium - Arlington, Texas)
* Orange Bowl (CFB Playoff semifinal)
** No. 3/5 Notre Dame defeated No. 4/5 Penn State 27–24 (Hard Rock Stadium - Miami Gardens, Florida)
* CFB Playoff National Championship Game
** No. 6 Ohio State defeated No. 3/5 Notre Dame, 34–23 (Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, Georgia)

## FCS team wins over FBS teams

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 24 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 4 (FCS) Montana State | New Mexico | University Stadium • Albuquerque, New Mexico | FS1 | 35–31 | 17,314 |
| September 7 | 2:30 p.m. | Saint Francis (PA) | Kent State | Dix Stadium • Kent, Ohio | ESPN+ | 23–17 | 11,585 |
| September 7 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 7 (FCS) Idaho | Wyoming | War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, Wyoming | truTV | 17–13 | 25,070 |
| September 7 | 9:00 p.m. | Southern Utah | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, Texas | ESPN+ | 27–24 $^{OT}$ | 41,609 |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | Monmouth | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, Florida | ESPN+ | 45–42 | 17,922 |
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | UT Martin | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, Georgia | ESPN+ | 24–13 | 10,847 |
| $^#$Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |||||||||
* ↑ 41 FBS bowl games plus the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
* ↑ The championship game was originally scheduled to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
* ↑ Gonzaga, which also joins the Pac-12 in 2026, does not count toward the required eight members because it lacks a football program.
* ↑ Montana State was a 13.5-point favorite at kickoff.
* ↑ Mailing address; the stadium is physically located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
* ↑ Mailing address; the stadium is physically located in unincorporated Cobb County.

## Upsets

This section lists unranked teams defeating AP Poll-ranked during the season.

### Regular season

* August 24, 2024
** Georgia Tech 24, No. 10 Florida State 21
* September 2, 2024
** Boston College 28, No. 10 Florida State 13
* September 7, 2024
** Northern Illinois 16, No. 5 Notre Dame 14
** Illinois 23, No. 19 Kansas 17
** Iowa State 20, No. 21 Iowa 19
** Syracuse 31, No. 23 Georgia Tech 28
* September 21, 2024
** BYU 38, No. 13 Kansas State 9
** Buffalo 23, No. 23 Northern Illinois 20 $^{OT}$
* September 28, 2024
** Kentucky 20, No. 6 Ole Miss 17
** Arizona 23, No. 10 Utah 10
* October 4, 2024
** Syracuse 44, No. 25 UNLV 41 $^{OT}$
* October 5, 2024
** Vanderbilt 40, No. 1 Alabama 35
** Arkansas 19, No. 4 Tennessee 14
** Washington 27, No. 10 Michigan 17
** Minnesota 24, No. 11 USC 17
** SMU 34, No. 22 Louisville 27
* October 11, 2024
** Arizona State 27, No. 16 Utah 19
* November 2, 2024
** South Carolina 44, No. 10 Texas A&M 20
** Louisville 33, No. 11т Clemson 21
** Texas Tech 23, No. 11т Iowa State 22
** Houston 24, No. 17 Kansas State 19
** Minnesota 25, No. 24 Illinois 17
* November 9, 2024
** Georgia Tech 28, No. 4 Miami (FL) 23
** Kansas 45, No. 17 Iowa State 36
** Virginia 24, No. 23 Pittsburgh 19
** South Carolina 28, No. 24 Vanderbilt 7
* November 16, 2024
** Kansas 17, No. 7 BYU 13
** New Mexico 38, No. 19 Washington State 35
** Arizona State 24, No. 20 Kansas State 14
** Florida 27, No. 21 LSU 16
** Stanford 38, No. 22 Louisville 35
* November 23, 2024
** Oklahoma 24, No. 7 Alabama 3
** Florida 24, No. 9 Ole Miss 17
** Auburn 43, No. 15 Texas A&M 41 $^{4OT}$
** Kansas 37, No. 16 Colorado 21
** Oregon State 41, No. 25 Washington State 38
* November 28, 2024
** Memphis 34, No. 18 Tulane 24
* November 30, 2024
** Michigan, 13 vs. No. 2 Ohio State 10
** Syracuse 42, No. 8 Miami (FL) 38
* December 14, 2024
** Navy 31, No. 19 Army 13

### Postseason

* December 31, 2024
** Michigan 19, No. 11 Alabama 13 (ReliaQuest Bowl)

## Conference standings

2024 American Athletic Conference football standings :
| 2024 American Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 21 Army y$  8 –0  12 –2   Tulane y  7 –1  9 –5   Navy  6 –2  10 –3   No. 24 Memphis  6 –2  11 –2   East Carolina  5 –3  8 –5   South Florida  4 –4  7 –6   UTSA  4 –4  7 –6   Charlotte  4 –4  5 –7   North Texas  3 –5  6 –7   Rice  3 –5  4 –8   Temple  2 –6  3 –9   UAB  2 –6  3 –9   Florida Atlantic  1 –7  3 –9   Tulsa  1 –7  3 –9   Championship: Army 35, Tulane 14 $ – Conference championy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll | 2024 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 12 SMU y^  8 –0  11 –3   No. 14 Clemson y$^  7 –1  10 –4   No. 18 Miami (FL)  6 –2  10 –3   No. 20 Syracuse  5 –3  10 –3   Louisville  5 –3  9 –4   Georgia Tech  5 –3  7 –6   Duke  5 –3  9 –4   Virginia Tech  4 –4  6 –7   Boston College  4 –4  7 –6   Pittsburgh  3 –5  7 –6   NC State  3 –5  6 –7   North Carolina  3 –5  6 –7   Virginia  3 –5  5 –7   California  2 –6  6 –7   Wake Forest  2 –6  4 –8   Stanford  2 –6  3 –9   Florida State  1 –7  2 –10   Championship: Clemson 34, SMU 31 ^ – College Football Playoff participant$ – Conference championy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll | 2024 Big Ten Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 3 Oregon y$^  9 –0  13 –1   No. 5 Penn State y^  8 –1  13 –3   No. 10 Indiana ^  8 –1  11 –2   No. 1 Ohio State #^  7 –2  14 –2   No. 16 Illinois  6 –3  10 –3   Iowa  6 –3  8 –5   Michigan  5 –4  8 –5   Minnesota  5 –4  8 –5   USC  4 –5  7 –6   Rutgers  4 –5  7 –6   Washington  4 –5  6 –7   Nebraska  3 –6  7 –6   Michigan State  3 –6  5 –7   UCLA  3 –6  5 –7   Wisconsin  3 –6  5 –7   Northwestern  2 –7  4 –8   Maryland  1 –8  4 –8   Purdue  0 –9  1 –11   Championship: Oregon 45, Penn State 37 # – College Football Playoff champion^ – College Football Playoff participant$ – Conference championy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll |
| 2024 Big 12 Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 7 Arizona State y$^  7 –2  11 –3   No. 15 Iowa State y  7 –2  11 –3   No. 13 BYU  7 –2  11 –2   No. 25 Colorado  7 –2  9 –4   Baylor  6 –3  8 –5   TCU  6 –3  9 –4   Texas Tech  6 –3  8 –5   Kansas State  5 –4  9 –4   West Virginia  5 –4  6 –7   Kansas  4 –5  5 –7   Cincinnati  3 –6  5 –7   Houston  3 –6  4 –8   Utah  2 –7  5 –7   UCF  2 –7  4 –8   Arizona  2 –7  4 –8   Oklahoma State  0 –9  3 –9   Championship: Arizona State 45, Iowa State 19 ^ – College Football Playoff participant$ – Conference championy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll | 2024 Conference USA football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  Jacksonville State y$  7 –1  9 –5   Western Kentucky y  6 –2  8 –6   Sam Houston  6 –2  10 –3   Liberty  5 –3  8 –4   Louisiana Tech  4 –4  5 –8   UTEP  3 –5  3 –9   FIU  3 –5  4 –8   New Mexico State  2 –6  3 –9   Middle Tennessee  2 –6  3 –9   Kennesaw State*  2 –6  2 –10   Championship: Jacksonville State 52, Western Kentucky 12 $ – Conference championy – Championship game participant* – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules | 2024 Mid-American Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  Miami (OH) y  7 –1  9 –5   Ohio y$  7 –1  11 –3   Buffalo  6 –2  9 –4   Bowling Green  6 –2  7 –6   Western Michigan  5 –3  6 –7   Toledo  4 –4  8 –5   Northern Illinois  4 –4  8 –5   Akron  3 –5  4 –8   Eastern Michigan  2 –6  5 –7   Central Michigan  2 –6  4 –8   Ball State  2 –6  3 –9   Kent State  0 –8  0 –12   Championship: Ohio 38, Miami (OH) 3 $ – Conference championy – Championship game participant |
| 2024 Mountain West Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 8 Boise State y$^  7 –0  12 –2   No. 23 UNLV y  6 –1  11 –3   Colorado State  6 –1  8 –5   Fresno State  4 –3  6 –7   San Jose State  3 –4  7 –6   Air Force  3 –4  5 –7   Hawaii  3 –4  5 –7   New Mexico  3 –4  5 –7   Utah State  3 –4  4 –8   San Diego State  2 –5  3 –9   Wyoming  2 –5  3 –9   Nevada  0 –7  3 –10   Championship: Boise State 21, UNLV 7 ^ – College Football Playoff participant$ – Conference championy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll | 2024 Pac-12 Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  Oregon State  1 –0  5 –7   Washington State  0 –1  8 –5 | 2024 Southeastern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 4 Texas y^  7 –1  13 –3   No. 6 Georgia y$^  6 –2  11 –3   No. 9 Tennessee ^  6 –2  10 –3   No. 11 Ole Miss  5 –3  10 –3   No. 17 Alabama  5 –3  9 –4   No. 19 South Carolina  5 –3  9 –4   No. 22 Missouri  5 –3  10 –3   Texas A&M  5 –3  8 –5   LSU  5 –3  9 –4   Florida  4 –4  8 –5   Arkansas  3 –5  7 –6   Vanderbilt  3 –5  7 –6   Oklahoma  2 –6  6 –7   Auburn  2 –6  5 –7   Kentucky  1 –7  4 –8   Mississippi State  0 –8  2 –10   Championship: Georgia 22, Texas 19 $^{OT}$ ^ – College Football Playoff participant$ – Conference championy – Championship game participantRankings from AP Poll |
| 2024 Sun Belt Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  East Division Marshall xy$  7 –1  10 –3   Georgia Southern  6 –2  8 –5   James Madison  4 –4  9 –4   Old Dominion  4 –4  5 –7   Coastal Carolina  3 –5  6 –7   Appalachian State  3 –5  5 –6   Georgia State  1 –7  3 –9   West Division Louisiana xy  7 –1  10 –4   Texas State  5 –3  8 –5   Arkansas State  5 –3  8 –5   South Alabama  5 –3  7 –6   Louisiana–Monroe  3 –5  5 –7   Troy  3 –5  4 –8   Southern Miss  0 –8  1 –11   Championship: Marshall 31, Louisiana 3 $ – Conference championx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant | 2024 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 2 Notre Dame ^   –  14 –2   UConn   –  9 –4   UMass   –  2 –10   ^ – College Football Playoff participantRankings from AP Poll |

## Rankings

The Top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls

### Preseason polls

AP :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Georgia (46) |
| 2 | Ohio State (15) |
| 3 | Oregon (1) |
| 4 | Texas |
| 5 | Alabama |
| 6 | Ole Miss |
| 7 | Notre Dame |
| 8 | Penn State |
| 9 | Michigan |
| 10 | Florida State |
| 11 | Missouri |
| 12 | Utah |
| 13 | LSU |
| 14 | Clemson |
| 15 | Tennessee |
| 16 | Oklahoma |
| 17 | Oklahoma State |
| 18 | Kansas State |
| 19 | Miami (FL) |
| 20 | Texas A&M |
| 21 | Arizona |
| 22 | Kansas |
| 23 | USC |
| 24 | NC State |
| 25 | Iowa |
USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Georgia (46) |
| 2 | Ohio State (7) |
| 3 | Oregon |
| 4 | Texas (1) |
| 5 | Alabama |
| 6 | Ole Miss |
| 7 | Notre Dame |
| 8 | Michigan (1) |
| 9 | Penn State |
| 10 | Florida State |
| 11 | Missouri |
| 12 | LSU |
| 13 | Utah |
| 14 | Clemson |
| 15 | Tennessee |
| 16 | Oklahoma |
| 17 | Kansas State |
| 18 | Oklahoma State |
| 19 | Miami (FL) |
| 20 | Texas A&M |
| 21 | Arizona |
| 22 | NC State |
| 23 | USC |
| 24 | Kansas |
| 25 | Iowa |

### CFB Playoff final rankings

On December 8, 2024, the College Football Playoff selection committee announced its final team rankings for the year. It was the eleventh season of the CFP era, and the first in which the playoffs were expanded from four teams to twelve teams. The top five ranked conference champions were selected to compete, along with the seven highest ranked remaining teams. The top four conference champions received a first-round bye.
| Rank | Team | W–L | Conference and standing | Bowl game |
| 1 | Oregon Ducks | 13–0 | Big Ten champions | Rose Bowl (CFP quarterfinal) |
| 2 | Georgia Bulldogs | 11–2 | SEC champions | Sugar Bowl (CFP quarterfinal) |
| 3 | Texas Longhorns | 11–2 | SEC first place | CFP first-round game |
| 4 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 11–2 | Big Ten second place (tie) | CFP first-round game |
| 5 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 11–1 | Independent | CFP first-round game |
| 6 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 10–2 | Big Ten fourth place | CFP first-round game |
| 7 | Tennessee Volunteers | 10–2 | SEC second place (tie) | CFP first-round game |
| 8 | Indiana Hoosiers | 11–1 | Big Ten second place (tie) | CFP first-round game |
| 9 | Boise State Broncos | 12–1 | Mountain West champions | Fiesta Bowl (CFP quarterfinal) |
| 10 | SMU Mustangs | 11–2 | ACC first place | CFP first-round game |
| 11 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 9–3 | SEC fourth place (tie) | ReliaQuest Bowl |
| 12 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 11–2 | Big 12 champions | Peach Bowl (CFP quarterfinal) |
| 13 | Miami Hurricanes | 10–2 | ACC third place | Pop-Tarts Bowl |
| 14 | Ole Miss Rebels | 9–3 | SEC fourth place (tie) | Gator Bowl |
| 15 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 9–3 | SEC fourth place (tie) | Citrus Bowl |
| 16 | Clemson Tigers | 10–3 | ACC champions | CFP first-round game |
| 17 | BYU Cougars | 10–2 | Big 12 first place (tie) | Alamo Bowl |
| 18 | Iowa State Cyclones | 10–3 | Big 12 first place (tie) | Pop-Tarts Bowl |
| 19 | Missouri Tigers | 9–3 | SEC fourth place (tie) | Music City Bowl |
| 20 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 9–3 | Big Ten fifth place (tie) | Citrus Bowl |
| 21 | Syracuse Orange | 9–3 | ACC fourth place (tie) | Holiday Bowl |
| 22 | Army Black Knights | 11–1 | AAC champions | Independence Bowl |
| 23 | Colorado Buffaloes | 9–3 | Big 12 first place (tie) | Alamo Bowl |
| 24 | UNLV Rebels | 10–3 | Mountain West second place (tie) | LA Bowl |
| 25 | Memphis Tigers | 10–2 | AAC third place (tie) | Frisco Bowl |

### Final rankings

| Rank | Associated Press | Coaches' Poll |
| 1 | Ohio State (56) | Ohio State (53) |
| 2 | Notre Dame | Notre Dame |
| 3 | Oregon | Texas |
| 4 | Texas | Oregon |
| 5 | Penn State | Penn State |
| 6 | Georgia | Georgia |
| 7 | Arizona State | Arizona State |
| 8 | Boise State | Tennessee |
| 9 | Tennessee | Boise State |
| 10 | Indiana | Indiana |
| 11 | Ole Miss | Clemson SMU (tied) |
| 12 | SMU | Clemson SMU (tied) |
| 13 | BYU | Ole Miss |
| 14 | Clemson | BYU |
| 15 | Iowa State | Iowa State |
| 16 | Illinois | Illinois |
| 17 | Alabama | Alabama |
| 18 | Miami (FL) | Miami (FL) |
| 19 | South Carolina | South Carolina |
| 20 | Syracuse | Missouri |
| 21 | Army | Army |
| 22 | Missouri | Syracuse |
| 23 | UNLV | Memphis |
| 24 | Memphis | UNLV |
| 25 | Colorado | Colorado |

## Playoff qualifiers
### Participants

| Team | Conference | Record | Qualification method | College Football Playoff | College Football Playoff | College Football Playoff |
| Team | Conference | Record | Qualification method | Appearance | Last bid | Result of last appearance |
| Arizona State | Big 12 Conference | 11–2 (7–2) | Conference champion | First appearance | First appearance | First appearance |
| Boise State | Mountain West Conference | 12–1 (7–0) | Conference champion | First appearance | First appearance | First appearance |
| Clemson | Atlantic Coast Conference | 10–3 (7–1) | Conference champion | 7th | 2020 | Lost to Ohio State in the semifinals |
| Georgia | Southeastern Conference | 11–2 (6–2) | Conference champion | 4th | 2022 | Won National Championship against TCU |
| Indiana | Big Ten Conference | 11–1 (8–1) | At-large | First appearance | First appearance | First appearance |
| Notre Dame | Independent | 11–1 | At-large | 3rd | 2020 | Lost to Alabama in the semifinals |
| Ohio State | Big Ten Conference | 10–2 (7–2) | At-large | 6th | 2022 | Lost to Georgia in the semifinals |
| Oregon | Big Ten Conference | 13–0 (9–0) | Conference champion | 2nd | 2014 | Lost to Ohio State in the National Championship |
| Penn State | Big Ten Conference | 11–2 (8–1) | At-large | First appearance | First appearance | First appearance |
| SMU | Atlantic Coast Conference | 11–2 (8–0) | At-large | First appearance | First appearance | First appearance |
| Tennessee | Southeastern Conference | 10–2 (6–2) | At-large | First appearance | First appearance | First appearance |
| Texas | Southeastern Conference | 11–2 (7–1) | At-large | 2nd | 2023 | Lost to Washington in the semifinals |

### College Football Playoff bracket

This is the first year under the expanded College Football Playoff format. Under this format, the five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids, while the next seven highest-ranked teams will receive at-large bids. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye in the playoff.
| First round | First round | First round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Championship | Championship | Championship |
| | | | Jan 1 – Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl | Jan 1 – Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl | Jan 1 – Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl | | | | | | |
| Dec 21 – Ohio Stadium | Dec 21 – Ohio Stadium | Dec 21 – Ohio Stadium | 1 | Oregon | 21 | | | | | | |
| Dec 21 – Ohio Stadium | Dec 21 – Ohio Stadium | Dec 21 – Ohio Stadium | 1 | Oregon | 21 | Jan 10 – Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium | Jan 10 – Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium | Jan 10 – Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium | | | |
| 8 | Ohio State | 42 | 8 | Ohio State | 41 | Jan 10 – Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium | Jan 10 – Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium | Jan 10 – Cotton Bowl Classic, AT&T Stadium | | | |
| 8 | Ohio State | 42 | 8 | Ohio State | 41 | 8 | Ohio State | 28 | | | |
| 9 | Tennessee | 17 | Jan 1 – Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 1 – Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 1 – Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 8 | Ohio State | 28 | | | |
| 9 | Tennessee | 17 | Jan 1 – Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 1 – Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 1 – Peach Bowl, Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 5 | Texas | 14 | | | |
| Dec 21 – DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium | Dec 21 – DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium | Dec 21 – DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium | 4 | Arizona State | 31 | 5 | Texas | 14 | | | |
| Dec 21 – DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium | Dec 21 – DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium | Dec 21 – DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium | 4 | Arizona State | 31 | | | | Jan 20 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 20 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 20 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 5 | Texas | 38 | 5 | Texas (2OT) | 39 | | | | Jan 20 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 20 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Jan 20 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 5 | Texas | 38 | 5 | Texas (2OT) | 39 | | | | 8 | Ohio State | 34 |
| 12 | Clemson | 24 | Jan 2 – Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome | Jan 2 – Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome | Jan 2 – Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome | | | | 8 | Ohio State | 34 |
| 12 | Clemson | 24 | Jan 2 – Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome | Jan 2 – Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome | Jan 2 – Sugar Bowl, Caesars Superdome | | | | 7 | Notre Dame | 23 |
| Dec 20 – Notre Dame Stadium | Dec 20 – Notre Dame Stadium | Dec 20 – Notre Dame Stadium | 2 | Georgia | 10 | | | | 7 | Notre Dame | 23 |
| Dec 20 – Notre Dame Stadium | Dec 20 – Notre Dame Stadium | Dec 20 – Notre Dame Stadium | 2 | Georgia | 10 | Jan 9 – Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium | Jan 9 – Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium | Jan 9 – Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium | | | |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 27 | 7 | Notre Dame | 23 | Jan 9 – Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium | Jan 9 – Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium | Jan 9 – Orange Bowl, Hard Rock Stadium | | | |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 27 | 7 | Notre Dame | 23 | 7 | Notre Dame | 27 | | | |
| 10 | Indiana | 17 | Dec 31 – Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium | Dec 31 – Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium | Dec 31 – Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium | 7 | Notre Dame | 27 | | | |
| 10 | Indiana | 17 | Dec 31 – Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium | Dec 31 – Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium | Dec 31 – Fiesta Bowl, State Farm Stadium | 6 | Penn State | 24 | | | |
| Dec 21 – Beaver Stadium | Dec 21 – Beaver Stadium | Dec 21 – Beaver Stadium | 3 | Boise State | 14 | 6 | Penn State | 24 | | | |
| 6 | Penn State | 38 | 6 | Penn State | 31 | | | | | | |
| 11 | SMU | 10 | | | | | | | | | |
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## Postseason

Normally, a team is required to have a .500 minimum winning percentage during the regular season to become bowl-eligible (six wins for an 11- or 12-game schedule, and seven wins for a 13-game schedule). If there are not enough winning teams to fulfill all open bowl slots, teams with losing records may be chosen to fill available bowl slots. Additionally, on the rare occasion in which a conference champion does not meet eligibility requirements, they are usually still chosen for bowl games via tie-ins for their conference.

### Bowl eligibility

* ACC (13): Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), NC State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, SMU, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
* American (8): Army, East Carolina, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, South Florida, Tulane, UTSA
* Big Ten (12): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, USC, Washington
* Big 12 (9): Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia
* CUSA (4): Jacksonville State, Liberty, Sam Houston, Western Kentucky
* MAC (7): Bowling Green, Buffalo, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
* Mountain West (5): Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Jose State, UNLV
* Pac-12 (1): Washington State
* SEC (13): Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
* Sun Belt (8): Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Louisiana, Marshall, South Alabama, Texas State
* Independent (2): Notre Dame, UConn
Number of postseason berths available: 82 Number of bowl-eligible teams: 82
* ACC (4): Florida State, Stanford, Virginia, Wake Forest
* American (6): Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice, Temple, Tulsa, UAB
* Big Ten (6): Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Purdue, UCLA, Wisconsin
* Big 12 (7): Arizona, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, UCF, Utah
* CUSA (6): FIU, Kennesaw State, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, UTEP
* MAC (5): Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State
* Mountain West (7): Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah State, Wyoming
* Pac-12 (1): Oregon State
* SEC (3): Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State
* Sun Belt (6): Appalachian State, Georgia State, Louisiana–Monroe, Old Dominion, Southern Miss, Troy
* Independent (1): UMass

### Conference summaries

Rankings in this section are based on CFP rankings released prior to the games (Week 13–December 3).
Note: Clicking on a link in the Conference column will open an article about that conference's championship game, where applicable.
| Conference | Championship game | Championship game | Championship game | Championship game | Players of the year | Players of the year | Players of the year | Players of the year | Coach of the year |
| Conference | Date | Venue (Location) | Matchup | Result | Overall/MVP | Offensive | Defensive | Special teams | Coach of the year |
| ACC | Dec 7 | Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) | No. 8 SMU vs. No. 17 Clemson | Clemson 34–31 | Cam Ward, QB, Miami | Cam Ward, QB, Miami | Donovan Ezeiruaku, DE, Boston College | — | Rhett Lashlee, SMU |
| American | Dec 6 | Michie Stadium (West Point, New York) | Tulane at No. 24 Army | Army 35–14 | — | Bryson Daily, QB, Army | Jimmori Robinson, LB, UTSA | Jonah Delange, K UAB | Jeff Monken, Army |
| Big Ten | Dec 7 | Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana) | No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 3 Penn State | Oregon 45–37 | — | Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon | Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State | Dominic Zvada, PK, Michigan; Eddie Czaplicki, P, USC; & Kaden Wetjen, RS, Iowa | Curt Cignetti, Indiana (coaches & media) |
| Big 12 | Dec 7 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) | No. 15 Arizona State vs. No. 16 Iowa State | Arizona State 45–19 | — | Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado | Travis Hunter, DB, Colorado | Will Ferrin, K, BYU; Jaylin Noel, PR/KR, Iowa State | Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State |
| CUSA | Dec 6 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium (Jacksonville, Alabama) | Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State | Jacksonville State 52–12 | Tyler Huff, QB, Jacksonville | Caden Veltkamp, QB, Western Kentucky | Travion Barnes, LB, FIU | Lucas Carneiro, PK, Western Kentucky | Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville State |
| MAC | Dec 7 | Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan) | Miami (OH) vs. Ohio | Ohio 38–3 | — | Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green | Shaun Dolac, LB, Buffalo | Malcolm Gillie, KR, Ball State | Tim Albin, Ohio |
| MW | Dec 6 | Albertsons Stadium (Boise, Idaho) | No. 20 UNLV at No. 10 Boise State | Boise State 21–7 | — | Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State | Jackson Woodard, LB, UNLV | Ricky White III, WR, UNLV | Spencer Danielson, Boise State |
| Pac-12† | — | — | — | — | — | John Mateer, QB, Washington State | Taariq Al-Uqdah, LB, Washington State | Dean Janikowski, P/K, Washington State | — |
| SEC | Dec 7 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia) | No. 5 Georgia vs. No. 2 Texas | Georgia 22–19 $^{(OT)}$ | — | Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee | Kyle Kennard, DE, South Carolina | Alex Raynor, PK, Kentucky | Clark Lea, Vanderbilt |
| Sun Belt | Dec 7 | Cajun Field (Lafayette, Louisiana) | Marshall (East) at Louisiana (West) | Marshall 31–3 | Mike Green, DL Marshall | Ben Wooldridge, QB, Louisiana | Marques Watson-Trent, LB, Georgia Southern | — | Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana |

### Conference champions' bowl games

For conference champions not part of the College Football Playoff.
| Conference | Champion | W–L | Bowl game |
| American | Army | 11–1 | Independence Bowl |
| Sun Belt | Marshall | 10–3 | Not participating |
| CUSA | Jacksonville State | 9–4 | Cure Bowl |
| MAC | Ohio | 10–3 | Cure Bowl |

### At-large bowl games

At-Large Teams :
| School | Conference | Record | Bowl game |
| Western Kentucky | Conference USA | 8–5 | Boca Raton |
| Miami (OH) | MAC | 8–5 | Arizona Bowl |
| Tulane | American | 9–4 | Gasparilla Bowl |
| UNLV | Mountain West | 10–3 | LA Bowl |
| Iowa State | Big 12 | 10–3 | Pop-Tarts Bowl |
| Louisiana | Sun Belt | 10–3 | New Mexico Bowl |

### Conference performance in bowl games

CFP bowl games are denoted in bold type. First-round CFP playoff games are included, and denoted as CFP1.
| Conference | Games | Games | Games | Wins–losses (pct.) | Bowls | Bowls |
| Conference | CFP | Other | Total | Wins–losses (pct.) | Won | Lost |
| ACC | 2 | 11 | 13 | 2–11 (.154) | Holiday, Sun | CFP1 × 2, Birmingham, Duke's Mayo, Fenway, GameAbove Sports, Gator, LA, Military, Pinstripe, Pop-Tarts |
| American | 0 | 8 | 8 | 6–2 (.750) | Armed Forces, Frisco, Hawaii, Independence, Military, Myrtle Beach | First Responder, Gasparilla |
| Big 12 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4–5 (.444) | Alamo, New Mexico, Pop-Tarts, Rate | Alamo, Frisco, Liberty, Peach, Texas |
| Big Ten | 8 | 9 | 17 | 11–6 (.647) | CFP1 × 2, Cotton, Duke's Mayo, Fiesta, Las Vegas, Pinstripe, ReliaQuest, Rose, Citrus, National Championship | CFP1, Music City, Orange, Rate, Rose, Sun |
| CUSA | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1–4 (.200) | New Orleans | Bahamas, Boca Raton, Cure, Independence |
| MAC | 0 | 7 | 7 | 5–2 (.714) | Arizona, Bahamas, Cure, Famous Idaho Potato, GameAbove Sports | 68 Ventures, Salute to Veterans |
| Mountain West | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1–4 (.200) | LA | Arizona, Famous Idaho Potato, Fiesta, Hawaii |
| Pac-12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0–1 (.000) | — | Holiday |
| SEC | 5 | 10 | 15 | 8–7 (.533) | CFP1, Birmingham, Gasparilla, Gator, Liberty, Music City, Peach, Texas | CFP1, Armed Forces, Citrus, Cotton, Las Vegas, ReliaQuest, Sugar |
| Sun Belt | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4–3 (.571) | 68 Ventures, Boca Raton, First Responder, Salute to Veterans | Myrtle Beach, New Mexico, New Orleans |
| Independent | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4–1 (.800) | CFP1, Fenway, Orange, Sugar | National Championship |
Note: The Alamo Bowl was contested by two Big 12 teams (one was selected as a former Pac-12 member), while the Rose Bowl was contested by two Big Ten teams.

### All-star games

| Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Television | Participants | Results |
| Dec 8, 2024 | 11:00 am | FCS Bowl | Municipal Stadium Daytona Beach, Florida | Varsity Sports Network | American Team National Team | American 29 National 0 |
| Jan 11, 2025 | Noon | Hula Bowl | FBC Mortgage Stadium Orlando, Florida | CBS Sports Network | Team Aina Team Kai | Aina 10 Kai 3 |
| Jan 19, 2025 | 11:00 am | Tropical Bowl | Municipal Stadium Daytona Beach, Florida | Varsity Sports Network | American Team National Team | American 17 National 7 |
| Jan 30, 2025 | 8:00 pm | East–West Shrine Bowl | AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas | NFL Network | East Team West Team | East 25 West 0 |
| Feb 1, 2025 | 2:30 pm | Senior Bowl | Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama | NFL Network | American Team National Team | American 22 National 19 |
| Feb 22, 2025 | 4:00 pm | HBCU Legacy Bowl | Yulman Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana | NFL Network | Team Robinson Team Gaither | Robinson 17 Gaither 14 |

## Awards and honors
### Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
| Travis Hunter | Colorado | WR/CB | 552 | 261 | 53 | 2,231 |
| Ashton Jeanty | Boise State | RB | 309 | 517 | 56 | 2,017 |
| Dillon Gabriel | Oregon | QB | 24 | 52 | 340 | 516 |
| Cam Ward | Miami (FL) | QB | 6 | 24 | 163 | 229 |
| Cam Skattebo | Arizona State | RB | 3 | 18 | 125 | 170 |
| Bryson Daily | Army | QB | 3 | 7 | 46 | 69 |
| Tyler Warren | Penn State | TE | 1 | 7 | 35 | 52 |
| Shedeur Sanders | Colorado | QB | 1 | 7 | 30 | 47 |
| Kurtis Rourke | Indiana | QB | 2 | 3 | 10 | 22 |
| Kyle McCord | Syracuse | QB | 0 | 1 | 7 | 9 |

### Other overall

| Award | Winner | Position | School |
| AP Player of the Year | Travis Hunter | WR/CB | Colorado |
| Lombardi Award | Kelvin Banks Jr. | OT | Texas |
| Maxwell Award | Ashton Jeanty | RB | Boise State |
| SN Player of the Year | Travis Hunter | WR/CB | Colorado |
| Walter Camp Award | Travis Hunter | WR/CB | Colorado |

### Special overall

| Award | Winner | Position | School |
| Burlsworth Trophy (top player who began as walk-on) | Bryce Boettcher | LB | Oregon |
| Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) | Travis Hunter | WR/CB | Colorado |
| Polynesian Football Player of the Year Award (top Polynesian player) | Tetairoa McMillan | WR | Arizona |
| Jon Cornish Trophy (top Canadian player) | Kurtis Rourke | QB | Indiana |
| Campbell Trophy ("academic Heisman") | Jalen Milroe | QB | Alabama |
| Academic All-American of the Year | Travis Hunter | WR/CB | Colorado |
| Wuerffel Trophy (humanitarian-athlete) | Nick Dawkins | C | Penn State |

### Offense

Quarterback
| Award | Winner | School |
| Davey O'Brien Award | Cam Ward | Miami (FL) |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award | Shedeur Sanders | Colorado |
| Manning Award | Cam Ward | Miami (FL) |
Running back
| Award | Winner | School |
| Doak Walker Award | Ashton Jeanty | Boise State |
Wide receiver
| Award | Winner | School |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award | Travis Hunter | Colorado |
Tight end
| Award | Winner | School |
| John Mackey Award | Tyler Warren | Penn State |
Lineman
| Award | Winner | Position | School |
| Rimington Trophy (center) | Seth McLaughlin | C | Ohio State |
| Outland Trophy (interior lineman) | Kelvin Banks Jr. | OT | Texas |
| Joe Moore Award (offensive line) | N/A | OL | Army |

### Defense

| Award | Winner | Position | School |
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player) | Kyle Kennard | DE | South Carolina |
| Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player) | Travis Hunter | CB | Colorado |
| Lott Trophy (defensive impact) | Travis Hunter | CB | Colorado |
Defensive front
| Award | Winner | School |
| Dick Butkus Award (linebacker) | Jalon Walker | Georgia |
| Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end) | Donovan Ezeiruaku | Boston College |
Defensive back
| Award | Winner | Position | School |
| Jim Thorpe Award | Jahdae Barron | CB | Texas |

### Special teams

| Award | Winner | School |
| Lou Groza Award (placekicker) | Kenneth Almendares | Louisiana |
| Ray Guy Award (punter) | Eddie Czaplicki | USC |
| Jet Award (return specialist) | Kaden Wetjen | Iowa |
| Patrick Mannelly Award (long snapper) | Rocco Underwood | Florida |

### Coaches

| Award | Winner | School |
| AFCA Coach of the Year | Curt Cignetti | Indiana |
| AP Coach of the Year | Curt Cignetti | Indiana |
| Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year | Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame |
| Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year | Curt Cignetti | Indiana |
| George Munger Award | Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame |
| Home Depot Coach of the Year | Curt Cignetti | Indiana |
| Paul "Bear" Bryant Award | Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame |
| Walter Camp Coach of the Year | Curt Cignetti | Indiana |

#### Assistants

| Award | Winner | Coordinator | School |
| AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year | Sean Saturnio | Special teams | Army |
| Broyles Award | Al Golden | Defensive | Notre Dame |

### All-Americans

The following players were recognized as consensus All-Americans for 2024. Unanimous selections are followed by an asterisk (*).
2024 Consensus All-Americans :
| Name | Position | Year | University |
| Cam Ward | Quarterback | Senior | Miami (FL) |
| Ashton Jeanty* | Running back | Junior | Boise State |
| Kaleb Johnson | Running back | Junior | Iowa |
| Tetairoa McMillan | Wide receiver | Junior | Arizona |
| Nick Nash* | Wide receiver | Senior | San Jose State |
| Harold Fannin Jr. | Tight end | Junior | Bowling Green |
| Kelvin Banks* | Offensive line | Junior | Texas |
| Will Campbell | Offensive line | Junior | LSU |
| Seth McLaughlin | Offensive line | Senior | Ohio State |
| Wyatt Milum | Offensive line | Senior | West Virginia |
| Addison West | Offensive line | Senior | Western Michigan |
| Donovan Ezeiruaku | Defensive line | Senior | Boston College |
| Kyle Kennard | Defensive line | Senior | South Carolina |
| Abdul Carter* | Defensive line | Junior | Penn State |
| Mason Graham* | Defensive line | Junior | Michigan |
| Walter Nolen | Defensive line | Junior | Ole Miss |
| Shaun Dolac | Linebacker | Senior | Buffalo |
| Jay Higgins* | Linebacker | Senior | Iowa |
| Danny Stutsman | Linebacker | Senior | Oklahoma |
| Jahdae Barron | Defensive back | Senior | Texas |
| Xavier Watts | Defensive back | Senior | Notre Dame |
| Nohl Williams | Defensive back | Senior | California |
| Caleb Downs* | Defensive back | Sophomore | Ohio State |
| Kenneth Almendares | Kicker | Senior | Louisiana |
| Alex Mastromanno | Punter | Senior | Florida State |
| Travis Hunter* | All-purpose/return specialist | Junior | Colorado |

## Coaching changes
### Preseason and in-season

This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2024, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled game but before its bowl game. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2024, see 2023 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
| Fresno State | Jeff Tedford | July 15, 2024 | Resigned | Tim Skipper (interim) |
| Utah State | Blake Anderson | July 18, 2024 | Fired | Nate Dreiling (interim) |
| East Carolina | Mike Houston | October 20, 2024 | Fired | Blake Harrell (initially interim; named permanent on November 25) |
| Southern Miss | Will Hall | October 20, 2024 | Fired | Reed Stringer (interim) |
| Rice | Mike Bloomgren | October 27, 2024 | Fired | Pete Alamar (interim) |
| Kennesaw State | Brian Bohannon | November 10, 2024 | Fired | Chandler Burks (interim) |
| Ball State | Mike Neu | November 16, 2024 | Fired | Colin Johnson (interim) |
| Temple | Stan Drayton | November 17, 2024 | Fired | Everett Withers (interim) |
| UMass | Don Brown | November 18, 2024 | Fired | Shane Montgomery (interim) |
| Florida Atlantic | Tom Herman | November 18, 2024 | Fired | Chad Lunsford (interim) |
| Charlotte | Biff Poggi | November 18, 2024 | Fired | Tim Brewster (interim) |
| Tulsa | Kevin Wilson | November 24, 2024 | Fired | Ryan Switzer (interim) |
| North Carolina | Mack Brown | November 26, 2024 | Fired | Freddie Kitchens (interim, bowl) |
| West Virginia | Neal Brown | December 1, 2024 | Fired | Chad Scott (interim, bowl) |
| Sam Houston | K. C. Keeler | December 1, 2024 | Hired by Temple | Brad Cornelsen (interim, bowl) |
| Ohio | Tim Albin | December 7, 2024 | Hired by Charlotte | Brian Smith (initially interim; named permanent on December 18) |
| Marshall | Charles Huff | December 8, 2024 | Hired by Southern Miss | Telly Lockette (interim, bowl) |
| UNLV | Barry Odom | December 8, 2024 | Hired by Purdue | Del Alexander (interim, bowl) |
| Jacksonville State | Rich Rodriguez | December 12, 2024 | Hired by West Virginia | Rod Smith (interim, bowl) |
| Washington State | Jake Dickert | December 18, 2024 | Hired by Wake Forest | Pete Kaligis (interim, bowl) |

### End of season

The list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
| Central Michigan | Jim McElwain | November 20, 2024 | Retired | Matt Drinkall | Army offensive line coach |
| Rice | Pete Alamar (interim) | November 26, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Scott Abell | Davidson head coach |
| UCF | Gus Malzahn | November 30, 2024 | Hired as offensive coordinator by Florida State | Scott Frost | Los Angeles Rams senior analyst |
| Purdue | Ryan Walters | December 1, 2024 | Fired | Barry Odom | UNLV head coach |
| FIU | Mike MacIntyre | December 1, 2024 | Fired | Willie Simmons | Duke running backs coach |
| Kennesaw State | Chandler Burks (interim) | December 1, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Jerry Mack | Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach |
| Temple | Everett Withers (interim) | December 1, 2024 | Permanent replacement | K. C. Keeler | Sam Houston head coach |
| Appalachian State | Shawn Clark | December 2, 2024 | Fired | Dowell Loggains | South Carolina offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach |
| Florida Atlantic | Chad Lunsford (interim) | December 2, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Zach Kittley | Texas Tech offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach |
| Ball State | Colin Johnson (interim) | December 4, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Mike Uremovich | Butler head coach |
| UMass | Shane Montgomery (interim) | December 4, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Joe Harasymiak | Rutgers defensive coordinator |
| Fresno State | Tim Skipper (interim) | December 4, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Matt Entz | USC associate head coach and linebackers coach |
| Utah State | Nate Dreiling (interim) | December 6, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Bronco Mendenhall | New Mexico head coach |
| New Mexico | Bronco Mendenhall | December 6, 2024 | Hired by Utah State | Jason Eck | Idaho head coach |
| Charlotte | Tim Brewster (interim) | December 7, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Tim Albin | Ohio head coach |
| Southern Miss | Reed Stringer (interim) | December 8, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Charles Huff | Marshall head coach |
| Marshall | Telly Lockette (interim/bowl) | December 8, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Tony Gibson | NC State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach |
| Tulsa | Ryan Switzer (interim) | December 8, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Tre Lamb | East Tennessee State head coach |
| North Carolina | Freddie Kitchens (interim/bowl) | December 11, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Bill Belichick | New England Patriots head coach and de facto general manager |
| West Virginia | Chad Scott (interim/bowl) | December 12, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Rich Rodriguez | Jacksonville State head coach |
| UNLV | Del Alexander (interim/bowl) | December 12, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Dan Mullen | Florida head coach |
| Wake Forest | Dave Clawson | December 16, 2024 | Resigned | Jake Dickert | Washington State head coach |
| Sam Houston | Brad Cornelsen (interim/bowl) | December 18, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Phil Longo | Wisconsin offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach |
| Jacksonville State | Rod Smith (interim/bowl) | December 20, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Charles Kelly | Auburn co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach |
| Washington State | Pete Kaligis (interim, bowl) | December 28, 2024 | Permanent replacement | Jimmy Rogers | South Dakota State head coach |
| Bowling Green | Scot Loeffler | February 28, 2025 | Hired as QB coach by Philadelphia Eagles | Eddie George | Tennessee State head coach |

## Television viewers and ratings
### Top 10 most watched regular season games

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the AP Poll (before 11/5) and CFP Rankings (thereafter).
| Rank | Date | Time | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | Significance |
| 1 | October 19 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 5 Georgia | 30 | No. 1 Texas | 15 | ABC | 13.19 | College GameDay |
| 2 | November 30 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan | 13 | No. 2 Ohio State | 10 | FOX | 12.30 | The Game, Big Noon Kickoff |
| 3 | September 28 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 2 Georgia | 34 | No. 4 Alabama | 41 | ABC | 11.99 | Rivalry, College GameDay |
| 4 | October 19 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 7 Alabama | 17 | No. 11 Tennessee | 24 | ABC | 10.23 | Third Saturday in October, SEC Nation |
| 5 | November 16 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 7 Tennessee | 17 | No. 12 Georgia | 31 | ABC | 9.96 | Rivalry, College GameDay |
| 6 | November 2 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 4 Ohio State | 20 | No. 2 Penn State | 13 | FOX | 9.77 | Rivalry, College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff |
| 7 | October 12 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 2 Ohio State | 31 | No. 3 Oregon | 32 | NBC | 9.60 | College GameDay |
| 8 | November 30 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 3 Texas | 17 | No. 20 Texas A&M | 7 | ABC | 9.45 | Lone Star Showdown, College GameDay |
| 9 | December 14 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 22 Army | 13 | Navy | 31 | CBS | 9.40 | Rivalry |
| 10 | November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 5 Indiana | 15 | No. 2 Ohio State | 38 | FOX | 9.32 | College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff |

### Conference championship games

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings.
| Rank | Date | Time | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | Conference | Location |
| 1 | December 7 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 5 Georgia | 22 $^{OT}$ | No. 2 Texas | 19 | ABC | 16.63 | SEC | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA |
| 2 | December 7 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 3 Penn State | 37 | No. 1 Oregon | 45 | CBS | 10.50 | Big Ten | Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN |
| 3 | December 7 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 16 Iowa State | 19 | No. 15 Arizona State | 45 | ABC | 6.90 | Big 12 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX |
| 4 | December 7 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 17 Clemson | 34 | No. 8 SMU | 31 | ABC | 5.98 | ACC | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC |
| 5 | December 6 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 20 UNLV | 7 | No. 10 Boise State | 21 | Fox | 3.81 | MW | Albertsons Stadium, Boise, ID |
| 6 | December 6 | 8:00 p.m. | Tulane | 14 | No. 24 Army | 35 | ABC | 2.00 | AAC | Michie Stadium, West Point, NY |
| 7 | December 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Ohio | 38 | Miami (OH) | 3 | ESPN | 1.13 | MAC | Ford Field, Detroit, MI |
| 8 | December 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Marshall | 31 | Louisiana | 3 | ESPN | 0.392 | Sun Belt | Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA |
| — | December 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | 12 | Jacksonville State | 52 | CBSSN | n.a. | CUSA | AmFirst Stadium, Jacksonville, AL |

### Most watched non-CFP bowl games

All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings.
| Rank | Date | Time | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | Game | Location |
| 1 | December 28 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 17 BYU | 36 | No. 23 Colorado | 14 | ABC | 8.00 | Alamo Bowl | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
| 2 | December 28 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 18 Iowa State | 42 | No. 13 Miami (FL) | 41 | ABC | 6.79 | Pop-Tarts Bowl | Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida |
| 3 | December 27 | 7:00 p.m. | Texas Tech | 26 | Arkansas | 39 | ESPN | 4.21 | Liberty Bowl | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, Tennessee |
| 4 | December 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Boston College | 15 | Nebraska | 20 | ABC | 4.19 | Pinstripe Bowl | Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York |
| 5 | December 27 | 3:30 p.m. | Georgia Tech | 27 | Vanderbilt | 35 | ESPN | 4.05 | Birmingham Bowl | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Alabama |
| 6 | December 26 | 5:30 p.m. | Rutgers | 41 | Kansas State | 44 | ESPN | 3.50 | Rate Bowl | Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona |
| 7 | January 3, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota | 24 | Virginia Tech | 10 | ESPN | 3.38 | Duke's Mayo Bowl | Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina. |
| 8 | December 27 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 21 Syracuse | 52 | Washington State | 35 | Fox | 2.93 | Holiday Bowl | Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California |
| 9 | December 27 | 12:00 p.m. | Oklahoma | 20 | Navy | 21 | ESPN | 2.85 | Armed Forces Bowl | Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas |
| 10 | December 30 | 2:30 p.m. | Iowa | 24 | No. 19 Missouri | 27 | ESPN | 2.82 | Music City Bowl | Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee |

### College Football Playoff games

| Date | Time | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | Game | Location |
| December 20 | 8:00 pm (ET) | No. 10 Indiana | 17 | No. 7 Notre Dame | 27 | ABC/ESPN | 13.4 | Non-bowl game (First round) | Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, IN (Campus site) |
| December 21 | 12:00 pm (ET) | No. 11 SMU | 10 | No. 6 Penn State | 38 | TNT | 6.4 | Non-bowl game (First round) | Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (Campus site) |
| December 21 | 4:00 pm (ET) | No. 16 Clemson | 24 | No. 3 Texas | 38 | TNT | 8.6 | Non-bowl game (First round) | Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium Austin, TX (Campus site) |
| December 21 | 8:00 pm (ET) | No. 9 Tennessee | 17 | No. 8 Ohio State | 42 | ABC/ESPN | 14.3 | Non-bowl game (First round) | Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH (Campus site) |
| December 31 | 7:30 pm (ET) | No. 6 Penn State | 31 | No. 3 Boise State | 14 | ESPN | 13.9 | Fiesta Bowl (Quarterfinals) | State Farm Stadium Glendale, Arizona |
| January 1 | 1:00 pm (ET) | No. 3 Texas | 39$^{2OT}$ | No. 4 Arizona State | 31 | ESPN | 17.3 | Peach Bowl (Quarterfinals) | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia |
| January 1 | 5:00 pm (ET) | No. 8 Ohio State | 41 | No. 1 Oregon | 21 | ESPN | 21.1 | Rose Bowl (Quarterfinals) | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California |
| January 2 | 4:00 pm (ET) | No. 7 Notre Dame | 23 | No. 2 Georgia | 10 | ESPN | 15.8 | Sugar Bowl (Quarterfinals) | Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana |
| January 9 | 7:30 pm (ET) | No. 6 Penn State | 24 | No. 7 Notre Dame | 27 | ESPN | 17.8 | Orange Bowl (Semifinals) | Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida |
| January 10 | 7:30 pm (ET) | No. 3 Texas | 14 | No. 8 Ohio State | 28 | ESPN | 20.9 | Cotton Bowl (Semifinals) | AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas |
| January 20 | 7:30 pm (ET) | No. 8 Ohio State | 34 | No. 7 Notre Dame | 23 | ESPN | 22.1 | College Football Playoff National Championship | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia |

## Television changes

This was the first year of a new 10-year television deal for the Southeastern Conference, whose games are now fully exclusive to ABC, SEC Network and the ESPN networks. ABC replaces CBS as the over-the-air television home of the SEC and exclusive television home of the SEC Championship Game.
Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining members of the Pac-12 Conference, announced a one-year agreement with The CW and Fox (2 games) on May 14, 2024.
After extending their contract in March with the College Football Playoff, ESPN sublicensed two first-round games to TNT Sports, their first since 2006. ESPN will also sublicense two quarterfinal bowl games to TNT beginning in 2026. The games were presented as an ESPN production, with no graphical changes or any hosts from TNT Sports.
Beginning this season, TNT Sports aired third-tier Mountain West Conference games on TruTV.