The first 12-team College Football Playoff bracket has arrived, and it is glorious. Unless, of course, you’re an Alabama fan, as the three-loss Crimson Tide were the top team left out of the draw in favor of ACC runner-up SMU.
However, with four first-round games to be played on campus coming soon, it’s time to move on and enjoy the fact that we no longer have to wait until New Year’s weekend for meaningful college football games.
In this article, we’ll break down the College Football Playoff bracket and schedule, as we get ready to embark on a journey to the 2025 CFP National Championship in Atlanta.
College Football Playoff Bracket
The College Football Playoff bracket includes 12 teams: the five-highest ranked conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams. All rankings are determined by the CFP selection committee.
The four highest-ranked conference winners received a bye to the quarterfinals, where they will play the winner of one of four first-round matchups. From there, the bracket will proceed as normal to the semifinals and National Championship, where a champion will be crowned.
Here is how the 2024-25 College Football Playoff bracket shook out:
College Football Playoff Schedule
With 12 teams making the field, the College Football Playoff schedule is longer than ever before.
As discussed above, there are four rounds in the CFP this year: the first round, quarterfinals, semifinals, and National Championship. In all, 11 games will be played to determine the top team in college football.
Let’s take a look at the 2024-25 CFP Schedule by round.
First Round
Friday Dec. 20
No. 10 Indiana vs No. 7 Notre Dame — Notre Dame Stadium (8 p.m. ET/ABC & ESPN)
Saturday Dec. 21
No. 11 SMU vs No. 6 Penn State — Beaver Stadium (Noon ET/TNT & Max)
No. 12 Clemson vs No. 5 Texas — DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium (4 p.m. ET/TNT & Max)
No. 9 Tennessee vs No. 8 Ohio State — Ohio Stadium (8 ET/ABC & ESPN)
Quarterfinals
Tuesday Dec. 31
Fiesta Bowl: Winner of Penn State/SMU vs No. 3 Boise State — State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Wednesday Jan. 1
Peach Bowl: Winner of Texas/Clemson vs No. 4 Arizona State — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA (1 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Rose Bowl: Winner of Ohio State/Tennessee vs No. 1 Oregon — Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA (5 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Sugar Bowl: Winner of Notre Dame/Indiana vs No. 2 Georgia — Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA (8:45 ET/ABC & ESPN)
Semifinals
Thursday Jan. 9
Orange Bowl: Winner of Peach Bowl vs Winner of Rose Bowl — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
Friday Jan. 10
Cotton Bowl: Winner of Fiesta Bowl vs Winner of Sugar Bowl — AT&T Stadium, Dallas, TX (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
CFP National Championship
Monday Jan. 20
Winner of Orange Bowl vs Winner of Cotton Bowl — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN)
If you’re interested in NCAAF futures betting advice, head over to our CFP odds page to find our thoughts on who will win the 2025 college football National Championship and more.
