The most wonderful time of the year for college football fans is upon us once again – bowl season. But this year, there’s more to get excited about than ever with the debut of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. In addition to the dozen squads vying for the national title, a total of 36 bowl games will showcase premier programs from across the country.
New Playoff Format Expands the Field
After years of debate and speculation, the College Football Playoff will finally grow from four to 12 teams starting this postseason. The new format will include the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-large bids determined by the CFP selection committee. This expansion aims to create more opportunities for deserving teams while maintaining the thrilling win-or-go-home stakes that have made the playoff so popular.
First Round Hosted at Campus Sites
One of the most significant changes in the 12-team model is that the first round will take place at the home stadiums of the higher-seeded teams. This means that for the first time ever, playoff football will be coming to campuses across the nation. The top four conference champions will receive first-round byes, while seeds 5-8 will host seeds 9-12 in early December.
Playing playoff games on campus will create incredible atmospheres and home-field advantages for the top-seeded teams. It’s a game-changer for the sport.
– Anonymous College Football Playoff executive
Traditional Bowls Host Quarterfinals and Semifinals
After the first round, the playoff will shift to neutral sites for the quarterfinals and semifinals. The winners of the opening-round games will face the top four seeds in the quarterfinals, which will be played at four prestigious bowl games:
- Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)
- Peach Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
- Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana)
The victorious teams will then advance to the semifinals, held at the Orange Bowl in Miami and the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Finally, the last two teams standing will meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20th.
36 Bowls Provide Marquee Matchups
While the expanded playoff takes center stage, the 2024-25 bowl schedule still features a cornucopia of compelling contests. All the familiar favorites are back, from the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl to the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl. The lineup also includes rising stars like the Las Vegas Bowl and the Fenway Bowl, which will be played at the iconic home of the Boston Red Sox.
In total, the postseason will consist of a record 36 bowl games stretching from mid-December to early January. With so many high-profile matchups on tap, fans will have no shortage of top-tier college football to enjoy during the holidays and beyond. It promises to be a postseason unlike any other.
Who Will Claim the Crown?
As always, the question on everyone’s mind is who will navigate the gauntlet and emerge as the national champion when the confetti falls in Atlanta. Will a perennial powerhouse like Alabama or Ohio State add to their trophy collection? Can an upstart program like Cincinnati or Utah crash the party and win it all? Or will we see a first-time champion in the playoff era?
No matter who ultimately prevails, one thing is certain – the path to the title will be more exciting and unpredictable than ever thanks to the expanded 12-team format. Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride as the 2024-25 college football postseason gets underway!
