With Thanksgiving on Thursday and the Christmas holidays around the corner, that means one thing. It means that the College Football Playoff is approaching fast and furious.
In the meantime, ESPN and the CFP are very close to an agreement that would extend the playoff expansion deadline, per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. As a result, this gives the conference commissioners more time to develop a new playoff format.
Before the extension, the original format deadline was Dec. 1.
The current College Football Playoff format includes 12 teams—five of the highest conference champions and seven at-large selections. Also, the top four teams receive a first-round bye, and the other eight teams play in the first round.
Furthermore, the highest seeds host the lower seeds. Also, the Quarterfinals and the Semifinals revolve around the top six bowl games around New Year's. Those include the Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose, and Sugar Bowls.
Afterward, the semifinal winners play in the National Championship game. Last year, Ohio State won the national championship. The College Football Playoff will begin on Dec. 19 and will go on to Jan. 19.
Ultimately, the first round will be from Dec. 19 to Dec. 20. The Quarterfinals will play from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1. After that, the Semifinals will play from Jan.8 to Jan. 9. Then, the national championship will play on Jan. 19 in Miami.
The history of the College Football Playoff on ESPN
In 2015, ESPN struck a deal to broadcast the College Football Playoff. It has broadcast all rounds of the tournament. As a result, the playoffs have become a popular fixture on the network.
In fact, six bowl games and the championship game combined to achieve 15.1 million television viewers.
Along the way, it has grown from a four-team playoff to a 12-team playoff. The media agreement is expected to last until the 2031-2032 season.
