After months of anticipation and hundreds of games played across the 2024 college football season, the 12-team College Football Playoff has arrived. The bracket expands this season from four teams to 12, creating a tougher path to the national championship while adding some new teams to the mix in the process.
No. 1 seed Oregon, No. 2 seed Georgia, No. 3 seed Boise State and No. 4 seed Arizona State earned first-round byes in the CFP after winning their respective conference championships over the weekend. Clemson, meanwhile, upset SMU on a walk-off, 56-yard field goal in the ACC Championship Game to punch its ticket to the CFP. The No. 12 seeded Tigers finished as the fifth-highest-ranked conference champion in the final College Football Playoff Rankings and will face No. 5 seed Texas on the road.
The first round of the CFP will feature No. 7 seed Notre Dame hosting No. 10 seed Indiana on Dec. 20 in the first game of the expanded playoff, signaling a historic moment in the sport. The other first-round games will be played on Dec. 21. The winners will advance to the quarterfinals at neutral sites on Dec. 31 and January 1, 2025.
2024-25 College Football Playoff schedule
All times Eastern
First round
Friday, Dec. 20
- (10) Indiana at (7) Notre Dame: 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
Notre Dame Stadium — South Bend, Indiana
Saturday, Dec. 21
- (11) SMU at (6) Penn State: Noon | TNT
Beaver Stadium — State College, Pennsylvania - (12) Clemson vs. (5) Texas: 4 p.m. | TNT
Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium — Austin, Texas - (9) Tennessee vs. (8) Ohio State: 8 p.m. | ABC/ESPN
Ohio Stadium — Columbus, Ohio
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31
- Fiesta Bowl — 6/11 Winner vs. (3) Boise State: 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Ariz.
Wednesday, Jan. 1
- Peach Bowl — 5/12 Winner vs. (4) Arizona State: 1 p.m. | ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta - Rose Bowl — 8/9 Winner vs. (1) Oregon: 5 p.m. | ESPN
Rose Bowl — Pasadena, Calif. - Sugar Bowl — 7/10 Winner vs. (2) Georgia: 8:45 p.m. | ESPN
Caesars Superdome — New Orleans
Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 9
- Orange Bowl: 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Fla.
Friday, Jan. 10
- Cotton Bowl: 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas
National Championship
Monday, Jan. 20
- 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta
