Even at the end of the spring, when college football is really in its offseason, the College Football Playoff knows how to pull at fans’ heartstrings.
The College Football Playoff committee released the dates and kickoff times for the expanded 12-team CFP earlier Wednesday afternoon. Penn State fans can plan for a possible first-round game at Beaver Stadium in December.
Related: Penn State’s schedule with updated game times
Following the release of the kickoff times, one of the big storylines is that two first-round games will compete with NFL matchups. This overlap of games was expected, but how the ratings differ across college football and the NFL remains to be seen. The first round will begin Friday, Dec. 20, with one game on Friday and three on Saturday, Dec. 21. The playoffs run through Jan. 20, when a new national champion will be crowned.
College Football Playoff First Round
- Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN)
- Saturday, Dec. 21 at noon ET (TNT Sports)
- Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. ET (TNT Sports)
- Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN)
College Football Playoff Quarterfinals
- VRBO Fiesta Bowl: Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Rose Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Allstate Sugar Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m. ET (ESPN)
College Football Playoff Semifinals
- Capital One Orange Bowl: Thursday, Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic: Friday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
CFP National Championship
- Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The championship game will take place 12 days later than it did in 2023, giving the semifinal winners ten days off before the national championship.
Penn State is by all means aiming to host one of the first-round games if not one of the four highest-ranked conference champions. A top-four seed would exceed most Penn State fans’ expectations, but hosting a playoff game should be the bar in 2024 for [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] and the Nittany Lions.