Even the College Football Playoff schedules around the NFL.
Because New Year’s Eve lands on a Thursday during NFL season next winter, the CFP is ditching the holiday window to avoid facing off with Thursday Night Football. Instead, one quarterfinal game will be played on Wednesday, Jan. 30, followed by a tripleheader on Friday, Jan. 1.
In the CFP era, college football has tried hard to make New Year’s Eve into a marquee day for games. This past season, Miami and Ohio State faced off in the Cotton Bowl during primetime on the holiday. Then, the CFP typically schedules a tripleheader for Jan. 1.
However, CFP games up against the NFL have performed worse through two years of the 12-team format. Both seasons of the 12-team playoff, the CFP’s first round was blown out of the water by its NFL competition. Quarterfinal viewership increased this year, despite blowouts in both games and a juicy NFL nightcap of Packers-Bears on Fox.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich reported that the CFP is expected to return to New Year’s Eve in 2027.
“These dates allow us to maintain competitive balance, maximize the fan experience, and provide consistency for everyone involved in the Playoff,” CFP executive director Rich Clark told Dinich in a statement.
While the CFP continues to evolve (and likely expand someday), scheduling continues to be a concern. Ideas like Oregon head coach Dan Lanning’s — for the entire CFP to end by Jan. 1 — seem unlikely, in part because of the minefield presented by the holiday season when it comes to booking games in premium windows.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.