First College Football Playoff rankings to be released on Election Day
With the college football season less than two weeks away from starting, the dates for the highly anticipated College Football Playoff rankings releases are now known.
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee announced on Thursday the dates its rankings will be released this season as selection committee members met in Southern California this week.
The rankings will first be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 5 — Election Day in America and Week 11 of the 2024 season — and will be released over the next four and a half weeks, leading up to the release of the first 12-team College Football Playoff on Dec. 8. The committee also announced that since the five highest-ranked conference champions will get automatic spots in the playoff — with the top four getting first-round byes — conference titles will no longer be used as a tiebreaker during the selection process.
Here are the dates and times for the College Football Playoff rankings release:
College Football Playoff rankings release dates, times
Tuesday, Nov. 5: 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Nov. 12: 9 p.m. ET (will be announced in between games of the State Farm Champions Classic college basketball doubleheader)
Tuesday, Nov. 19: 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday Nov. 26: 8 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Dec. 3: 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Dec. 8 (Selection Sunday): 12 p.m. ET
When is the College Football Playoff?
The 12-team College Football Playoff will begin on Dec. 20 and will culminate with the national championship game on Jan. 20, 2025: Here is the full schedule:
First round
Friday, Dec. 20, 2024: One game (Campus sites)
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024: Three games (Campus siteS)
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024: Fiesta Bowl
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025: Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl
Semifinals
Thursday, Jan. 9: Orange Bowl
Friday, Jan. 10, 2025: Cotton Bowl
National Championship
Monday, Jan. 20, 2025: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
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