College Football Playoff tweaks dates in upcoming seasons

All College Football Playoff semifinal games will be played on Saturdays or holidays after the event saw ratings plummet on New Year's Eve last season.

Upcoming CFP semifinals


2016 Sat., Dec. 31 Fiesta, Peach
2017 Mon., Jan. 1 Rose, Sugar
2018* Sat., Dec. 29 Cotton, Orange
2019* Sat., Dec. 28 Fiesta, Peach
2020 Fri., Jan. 1 Rose, Sugar
2021 Fri., Dec. 31 Orange, TBD
2022 Sat., Dec. 31 Bowls TBD
2023 Mon., Jan. 1 Rose, Sugar
2024* Sat., Dec. 28 Orange, TBD
2025* Sat., Dec. 27 Bowls TBD

* Date changed Thursday

The dates have been changed for the semifinal games in the 2018, 2019, 2024 and 2025 seasons.

CFP executive director Bill Hancock said the drop in viewership combined with what he called "a simple and elegant alternative" was enough to sway the management committee to change the dates.

"Once we settled on this as the best possible alternative, then the rest of the dominoes fell," he said.

Hancock said he had heard from college football fans across the country, fans he sees in church and at the grocery store.

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Some guy said:

Good call by them to change. I don't have a huge problem with it not being on Jan 1 every year...but I do find it amazing how much power the Rose Bowl still has.

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