CFP committee confirms dates for first year of expanded playoff - ESPN

IRVING, Texas — The inaugural first-round games of a 12-team College Football Playoff will feature one game Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, and three games Dec. 21, 2024, CFP executive director Bill Hancock said Thursday following the conclusion of CFP spring meetings.

The CFP is also zeroing in on confirming midweek games for the 2024 quarterfinals, with three games Jan. 1, 2024, and the fourth quarterfinal game either New Year's Eve or Jan. 2, 2024, to avoid competing against the NFL wild-card weekend.

«We want to preserve as much prep time between the rounds as we possibly can,» Hancock said. «I wouldn't want to share any details about our conversations with the NFL, but we have a good relationship with them.»

The College Football Playoff management committee, which is composed of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, met for 2½ days at the Las Colinas Resort to discuss a wide range of logistics for implementing the new format in time for the start of the 2024 season.

The first-round games will be held at either the home field of the higher-seeded team or at another site designated by the higher-seeded institution (No. 12 at No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7, and No. 9 at No. 8.).

The CFP's management committee continued to discuss ticket allotments for on-campus games, but Hancock said that in general, the host school will sell the tickets and the season-ticket holders will have an opportunity to buy playoff tickets the same way. Visiting teams will also have an allotment, but the CFP hasn't determined how many or where they will sit in the stadium.

«Our charge is going to be to make what we do fit the same in Knoxville as it does in Ann Arbor as it does in Eugene,» Hancock said. «It