College Football Playoff: TV assignments, game times revealed for first-round CFP games, quarterfinals
For the first time, College Football Playoff games will air on multiple networks. ESPN and TNT Sports announced a deal to sublicense first-round matchups on campus sites, and those assignments came out following the bracket reveal.
The 12-team bracket came out Sunday, which revealed the first-round matchups. Under the new format, the four highest-ranked conference champions will receive byes. Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State came in as the respective top four seeds, meaning they won’t start their CFP runs until the quarterfinals.
That leaves four games at campus sites for the first round. As part of the five-year agreement between ESPN and TNT Sports, TNT will broadcast two first-round games. ABC and ESPN will have the rest of the College Football Playoff from there. That includes the quarterfinals, semifinals and national championship on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.
After the first round, the rest of the CFP will take place at bowl sites. Those locations were determined based on the higher-seeded team’s bowl affiliation.
The CFP officially kicks off Dec. 20 with one game on the schedule. Here are the full TV assignments for the first-round games.
First-round games (campus sites)
No. 10 seed Indiana at No. 7 seed Notre Dame
Date: Dec. 20
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC/ESPN
It’s an in-state showdown in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Indiana will head to Notre Dame to take on the Fighting Irish to kick off the 12-team CFP era.
No. 11 seed SMU at No. 6 seed Penn State
Date: Dec. 21
Time: Noon ET
Channel: TNT/Max
SMU stayed in the College Football Playoff bracket despite falling in the ACC Championship and will head to Happy Valley. Penn State will host a first-round game at Beaver Stadium in the first-ever CFP game on TNT and Max.
No. 12 seed Clemson at No. 5 seed Texas
Date: Dec. 21
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Channel: TNT/Max
The ACC champion, Clemson stole a bid in the College Football Playoff despite being ranked outside the Top 12. That means the Tigers will head to Austin to take on Texas as part of TNT’s doubleheader on Dec. 21.
No. 9 seed Tennessee at No. 8 seed Ohio State
Date: Dec. 21
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC/ESPN
An intriguing matchup awaits in Columbus on Dec. 21 to close out the first round. Tennessee and its high-powered running game will take on Ohio State’s passing attack with a chance to play in the quarterfinals.
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Quarterfinals
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 seed Boise State vs. SMU/Penn State
Date: Dec. 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
One of the stories of the college football season, Boise State came in as the No. 3 seed after winning the Mountain West. That means the Broncos – appropriately, given their history – will play in the Fiesta Bowl, where they’ll await the winner of SMU vs. Penn State.
Peach Bowl: No. 4 seed Arizona State vs. Clemson/Texas
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
In the Peach Bowl, a surging Arizona State team will await the winner of Clemson vs. Texas. The Sun Devils have been one of the hottest teams in the country en route to a Big 12 title, and they’ll get some time to recover before starting its CFP run.
Rose Bowl: No. 1 seed Oregon vs. Tennessee/Ohio State
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 5 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
In the Rose Bowl Game, top-seeded Oregon will get ready to get its College Football Playoff run started. The Ducks will take on either Tennessee or Ohio State in the game, which means a rematch with the Buckeyes is in the cards.
Sugar Bowl: No. 2 seed Georgia vs. Indiana/Notre Dame
Date: Jan. 1
Time: 8:45 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Closing out the New Year’s Day slate, Georgia will play its first game since winning an overtime thriller over Texas in the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs will take on the winner of Indiana vs. Notre Dame in the nightcap in the Sugar Bowl.
At long last, the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is set. There’s now a 12-day layoff before the first round games get underway and the race toward the national championship officially begins.